Toilets to blame for morethan 50 sewage blockages

PEOPLE flushing inappropriate items down the toilet have been responsible for more than 50 sewage blockages in the Rye and Battle area in the last 18 months.
Flushed AwayFlushed Away
Flushed Away

These blockages can lead to can lead to flooding of homes, gardens, rivers or beaches.

Items that have found their way into sewage systems include this fluffy orange monster which ended up in Southern Water’s waste-water treatment works and has been dubbed Bruce by staff.

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Other items include a rubber duck and even a life-jacket, along with more common culprits like wet wipes and sanitary products.

Southern Water decided to highlight the issue as part of World Toilet Day on Tuesday of this week.

The day aimed to break the taboo around toilets and draw attention to global sanitation issues.

Martin Coote (pictured with Bruce), a Process Operator, said: “Some of things we find in the sewers or at our treatment works do raise a smile, like Bruce did, but the potential consequences – such as homes flooded with wastewater – are serious.

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“According to the charity Water Aid, 2.5 billion people – around one in three of the world’s population – don’t have a safe, clean, private toilet. Therefore, we should all take more pride in our own toilets and sewers. What better time to make some simple changes than the week of World Toilet Day?”