Look after our sewers and beaches

The Met Office has predicted that climate change could lead to more extreme weather events. This could increase the likelihood of sewer flooding.

So what can the general public can do to help reduce sewer flooding?

Avoid flushing items that might block sewers.



Three quarters of sewer blockages are caused by items that shouldn’t be disposed of down the loo or the sink, and half of all sewer flooding is caused by blockages.

Drains from your home are normally no wider than four inches (100mm) and are only built to carry water, toilet paper and human waste. Other items don’t break down and can get caught in pipes, forming a blockage over time.

What not to flush:

Toilet cleansing cloths, face wipes, baby wipes, cotton wool, tampons, sanitary towels, condoms, nappies, razor blades and plasters. Cooking fats, oils and grease that often get washed down the kitchen sink also build up in the drains and sewers.

But why should you bother?

Well, people who put things they shouldn’t down the loo could be flushing money down the pan because the cost of having your own private drains unblocked can be expensive.

And if the public sewers are blocked, the sewerage companies’ costs in removing blockages get passed on to customers via sewerage bills.



Let’s not forget our beautiful beaches and bathing waters. During extreme weather events any items flushed down the sewers may also end up as unsightly pollution on our coastline.

We know from our research that most people want to do the right thing, but often they are unaware that flushing items will cause real problems.

So take a moment to think and remember:

If you throw stuff into the loo, it could come back to trouble you.

See our leaflet on how to responsibly dispose of household waste for more information.

Useful links
Water UK – Bag it and Bin it
The Sewerman’s log