Yorkshire Water issues Christmas plea after drones, toys and wipes clog drains

Yorkshire Water has issued a festive warning after its frontline teams uncovered a series of unusual and costly blockages across the region in the run-up to Christmas.

The company’s Customer Field Services (CFS) teams are working throughout the holiday period to deal with blocked drains, sewer overflows and objects wrongly flushed or washed into the sewer network.

Among the more surprising discoveries this year was a crushed drone caught in screening equipment at Scalby Mills in Scarborough, along with supermarket packaging, a bucket containing chicken drumsticks, children’s toys and wet wipes – a persistent cause of sewer blockages despite being marketed as disposable.

Yorkshire Water is again urging customers to stick to the so-called “three Ps” – paper, pee and poo – and to remember that toilets and sinks are not bins.

Food waste, packaging, wipes and household items can all cause serious disruption once they enter the sewer system.

The company said fats, oils and grease (FOG) remain a particular problem over the Christmas period, when cooking increases.

These substances may be liquid when hot but cool and solidify in drains and sewers, leading to stubborn blockages.

Yorkshire Water has said they spend more than £750,000 each year responding to FOG-related incidents, with more than 2,250 jobs raised annually.

Joe Sykes, wastewater regional operations manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Blockages can cause sewers and drains to back up and spill into homes and gardens.

“However, over 40% of all blockages in the Yorkshire region can be traced back to the wrong items being washed down the sink or flushed down the toilet. The damage, repairs and clean-up operation can be very costly, and with over 20,000 miles of pipework across the region, sticking to the 3-Ps can save a lot of money and distress.

“We want everyone to have a very merry Christmas and sticking to the three-Ps of only paper, pee or poo going down the loo can help to stop serious blockages, damage property, the environment and cost a lot of money to fix.

“Keeping wipes, cotton buds, food, Fats, Oils and Grease out of sinks, sewers and toilets will really help prevent blockages.”

Yorkshire Water said its teams are on call 24/7 over the festive period and is encouraging residents to follow advice from the Yorkshire Water Bin it, don’t block it campaign to help avoid unnecessary emergencies.