Wessex Water is reminding its customers to only flush the three Ps, paper, poo and pee, this Halloween after 35kg of flushed cat litter was the cause of a blockage horror story.
The blocked sewer | Photo courtesy of Wessex Water
The water and sewerage company sent crews out to clear a blocked sewer, removing a huge amount of cat litter as well as some wet wipes.
George Taylor, director of sewerage at Wessex Water, said: “Over the years we’ve seen a number of strange items pulled from our sewers, but this is the first time I’ve seen cat litter cause a blockage.
“Animal waste should never be flushed. We advise customers to put these types of items in the bin and not down the toilet, as they don’t break up properly in our sewers.
“If a blockage occurs in your area, it could result in sewage backing up into your home which can be an unpleasant and costly issue to resolve.”
With wet wipes also contributing to the blockage, Wessex Water is advising customers to bin wet wipes, which are often marketed as ‘flushable’ without passing the water industry’s strict Fine to Flush standards.
The company clears around 13,000 blockages on its network every year at a cost of £5million, with wet wipes contributing to the vast majority of them.
