Working together to prevent blockages
60% of all sewer flooding in homes is caused by blockages. Many of these blockages could be avoided, just by knowing what you can and can't put down your sinks and toilets.
Follow our advice to help prevent blockages at home.
In the bathroom
Learn what's safe to flush or drain away in the bathroom.
The three Ps
Remember the three Ps: only flush pee, poo and (toilet) paper. Our sewers weren't designed to hold anything else!
Bin it
Switch it up
There are lots of alternatives to wet wipes available now. A small change of habit could make a big difference to our environment.
There's no such thing as flushable wipes
Many products marketed as ‘flushable’ contain plastic, so won’t break down. Even products with the Fine 2 Flush logo on packaging should never be flushed. Although they’ll disappear when you flush, they won’t completely leave your drains.
Stick to the three Ps and put everything else in the bin.
In the kitchen
Find out how to prevent blockages in your kitchen.
Scrape your scraps
Wipe grease and oil
Use paper towels to wipe grease before washing up or loading the dishwasher. Collect leftover cooking oil in an old jam jar or yoghurt pot. Once it sets, scrape the solid fat out into the bin.
Check your local tip
Protect your pipes
Never pour leftover cooking oil, fat or grease down your sink. Running your hot water along with a squirt of washing up liquid doesn't stop them from building up in your pipes. Soap can actually harden and stick to other items, adding to the blockage.
All fat, oil and grease must go in the bin. If you block your pipes, it'll be your responsibility to fix them.
Hazardous waste disposal
Medicines, paint and chemicals must be disposed of properly. Never pour them down your sink or toilet. Your local council can help you with safe hazardous waste disposal.
- Take chemicals, solvents, engine oil and paint to your local refuse or recycling site
- Take medicines, tablets, syringes and needles to your pharmacist, hospital or health authority
Fighting fatbergs
We clear around 75,000 blockages from our sewers each year. Many of these are caused by items like wet wipes, sanitary items and cotton pads that can't break down. When flushed down the loo, they combine with cooking fats and oils that have been poured down sinks. Eventually this leads to blocked pipes.
These blockages can become bigger and bigger, as more unflushables enter our sewers. We call them fatbergs.
Fatbergs take up space in pipes and sewers. This can force raw sewage back up drains, plugholes and toilets into homes. To avoid sewer flooding in your home, be careful with what you put down your toilets and sinks.
