Spillage of raw sewage on Fleetwood street blamed on people flushing 'wrong things' down toilet

The oozing waste emerged from a drain on Nansen Road and the odourous puddle was filmed by a disgusted resident (advisory on content: some expletives)

United Utilities  (UU) attended the scene - and found that the problem was caused by “a blockage of rags, wipes, and other sanitary items”.

UU said it was a “classic example” of people flushing the wrong things down the toilet and urged people not to do it.

Sign up for our free newsletters now In an updated statement following the incident on Wednesday, UU spokesperson said: “Our team went out to reports of sewer flooding and discovered that the problem was caused by a blockage of rags, wipes, and other sanitary items – this had caused the combined public sewer to overflow through a highway gulley.

“The team used high pressure jets to clear the blockage and then they cleaned up and disinfected the area.

“We’re going to carry out some more surveys in the area with a CCTV camera to check whether any further cleaning is required. 

“This is a classic example of the problems caused when people flush or pour away the wrong things into the drains.

“Wet wipes and sanitary products are a massive problem when people flush them down the toilet because they are often labelled ‘flushable’ – this is very misleading.

“They get stuck in the pipes, they don’t break down, and they build up to cause blockages and flooding.”

The utilities company also advised that fatty food waste should always be cooled and scraped into the bin, not poured down the sink.

The spokesman added: “Althoiugh it might wash away with hot water and washing up liquid, as soon as it gets into the sewers it cools down and clogs up the pipes, just like clogged arteries.

“Sometimes these blockages can be a nightmare for householders if they cause the waste to back up inside their home, involving a costly visit from the plumber or a drainage contractor.

 “Each year United Utilities tackles around 28,000 blockages on the sewers which serve the North West, costing around £10 million. Our Stop the Block campaign reminds customers to be careful about flushing or pouring the wrong things down the drain.”