Householders warned against 'sewer abuse'

Thames Water estimates the number of blocked drains could quadruple when a transfer of drains and sewers takes place

HOUSEHOLDERS in West Berkshire are being warned against the perils of ‘sewer abuse' ahead of a forthcoming Government change.

Earlier this year, all sewerage customers in England and Wales were sent legal notices after Parliament formalised Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) regulations for the transfer to water companies of sections of drains and sewers currently owned by householders.

The transfer will take place on October 1 and while Defra estimates that annual water bills will rise between £4 and £14 as a result of the transfer, Thames Water estimates that the number of blocked drains it has to deal with could more than quadruple from 55,000 each year to about 250,000.

As a result, Thames Water's ‘chief flusher' Rob Smith has sent a warning to the company's 14m customers across London and the Thames Valley.

He said: “Every year we spend £12m clearing blockages, most of which are caused by sewer abuse - food fat and other sewer no-no's like wet wipes and sanitary items being wrongly washed down drains.

“Overnight on October 1 the total length of our sewer network will increase by about 60 per cent, which we reckon may lead to a near fivefold increase in blockages.”

He said it was important for people to remember that just because some sections of drainage will become the water company's responsibility, including lateral drains (sections of pipe carrying one property's waste under someone else's property before it joins a sewer) and privately-owned sewers, it did not mean people could mistreat sewers by putting the wrong things down them.

He said: “Sewer abuse can lead to other people's properties being sewer-flooded. Or it can bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘getting your own back'.”

Subsequently, Mr Smith has urged people to take note of the flusher's war cry, ‘Bin it - don't block it', to help flushers put an end to sewer flooding, which he described as a “truly miserable experience.”

To see a video on what the transfer of sewer ownership means for different property types, click on the link below.