Blockage-busting team help to keep sewers clear on the Isle of Wight

Southern Water's Unflushables team visited the Isle of Wight this week in attempt to help prevent blockages of wet wipes, fat, oil, grease and other nasties that shouldn't be put down sinks and loos.

Adhering to social distancing rules, the team knocked on 258 doors in total, and more than 130 manhole covers were lifted between two of our pumping stations in Ryde. Material clogging up our pumping stations was also removed. 

We discovered three blockages which we cleared ourselves, and under 9 manholes further rag, debris and clogging-material were found.

The work is timely with it being Unblocktober this month. 

Field Customer Engagement Officer for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight at Southern Water, Matt Collins, was part of the team carrying out the inspections on Wednesday and Thursday this week. 

"It was great to be out on the Isle of Wight, talking and engaging with customers about the work we were doing, engaging with them about blockages and how they can occur from flushing items like wet wipes and cotton pads down their loos, as well as fat, oil grease down sinks," says Matt. 

"This work is part of sewer and site inspections that take place across the whole of our region in the south east.

 "As always, we'd encourage anyone to only flush the three Ps down the loo, and put fat, oil, and grease in the bin - not down sinks." 

More information and advice about blockages, unflushables and the damage flushing the wrong items down sinks and loos can do to your own home, is available on our website: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/keep-it-clear 

Unblocktober is the world's first month-long national campaign and awareness month to improve the health of our drains, sewers, watercourses and seas - driven completely by the British public. 

Unblocktober 2019 saw more than 5,000 Britons across the country pledge to change their kitchen and bathroom habits at home and at work to help save the environment, and this year we need even more of you to get involved.

For more information on Unblocktober, visit: https://www.unblocktober.org/