Underwear, false teeth, tennis balls and tyres are among the items found in a 'fatberg' clogging up sewers. A water company said the majority of blockages are caused by wet wipes, cooking oils and sanitary products.
But Severn Trent also highlighted the more bizarre finds from the sewers as it urged householders to be more thoughtful. The problem has been back in the spotlight after the emergence of a wet wipe island in the River Thames.
The items have been discovered clogging up sewers in the Midlands, BirminghamLive reports. Blockages can form easily as most sewer pipes only have a diameter of around 150mm, which is slightly larger than an average roll of toilet paper.
Water bosses want people to use the 'Three P' rule and only flush pee, paper and poo down the toilet. While when it comes to sinks and drains, they are urging families to put used cooking oils, wipes, nappies, sanitary products and tampons in the bin.
The congealed masses of wipes and fat, oil and grease can have a devastating impact by causing blockages which back up sewage, and then spill into rivers. As they break down, Severn Trent said they release microplastics, damage aquatic life and impact the ecosystems.
Grant Mitchell, from Severn Trent, said: “From underwear and false teeth to tennis balls and tyres, we’ve has some bizarre things make their way into our sewer network over the years. But it’s the day-to-day items, such as wet wipes, cotton buds, sanitary products and cooking oils, that can create the biggest issues in our region’s sewer networks.
“These giant congealed masses often cause big problems when they arrive at sewage treatment works. However, in the worst-case scenario, they don’t even make it to the works, instead blocking sewer pipes, which can lead to wastewater backing up into homes, gardens and rivers.
"Sewer blockages are a really horrible thing for anyone to experience. To avoid blockages we advise waiting for cooking fats, oils and greases to cool before disposing of them in the bin and only flushing the three P’s – pee, paper and poo – anything else should go in the bin.
"Preventing our sewers from becoming blocked could save numerous pollutions each year and would be a key step in our journey to making our regions rivers the healthiest they can be."
