Wet wipe blockage removed from Hull sewer

A large mass of wet wipes that caused a blockage in a Hull sewer has been removed by Yorkshire Water.

Following the incident, the company is urging customers in Hull to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and (toilet) paper – down the toilet and to bin any wet wipes to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The blockage caused sewage to escape from the network and leak into gardens of properties on Suffolk Street.

Mark Hammond, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said: “This incident shows the significant impact flushing wet wipes can have on the sewer network and the potential knock-on effect of leakage in the local environment, which understandably caused distress to the people affected.

“We attended more than 2,000 blockages in HU postcodes in 2020 caused by wet wipes, fats, oils and greases and other foreign objects being disposed of incorrectly.

“We would urge all our customers to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper – down the toilet and to throw any wet wipes they use in the bin to reduce the likelihood of blockages such as this.”

After Yorkshire Water’s team removed the blockage sewer levels returned to normal and a full clean-up was conducted in the gardens impacted by the leak.