A creepy baby doll lurking in a sewer, a lone shoe recovered from the depths underground and a pair of pants discovered somewhere they shouldn’t have been.
These are just some of the strange and spooky finds uncovered by South West Water’s teams while working beneath our streets this year, where the unexpected is often found lurking in the sewer network.
With Halloween approaching, South West Water is revealing some of the strangest discoveries made by its teams and shining a light on the important work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the network flowing across the region.
The spooky discoveries beneath our streets
While carrying out routine maintenance and investigations across the region, South West Water’s teams regularly come across items that were never meant to enter the sewer network.
Recent finds include:
- A creepy baby doll causing a blockage in Exmouth.
- A sack of rubble stuffed into a sewer.
- A pair of pants discovered in a pipe in Exeter.
- A lone shoe recovered from a sewer
- A children’s toy buried among concrete underground.
While some of these discoveries may seem bizarre, they highlight the challenges teams face every day to keep the network flowing and prevent small problems from becoming bigger issues.
Keeping the network flowing
Every day, South West Water’s teams work behind the scenes to keep 25,000 kilometres of sewers flowing across the region.
From investigating reports of blockages and carrying out repairs, to maintaining the network and responding to incidents, teams work around the clock to help protect homes, businesses, communities and the environment.
When strange finds become real-life nightmares
While some discoveries might raise a smile, putting the wrong things down toilets and drains can have a big impact.
Items that enter the sewer network can become trapped in pipes, causing blockages and restricting the flow of wastewater.
These blockages can increase the risk of sewer flooding, disrupt services for customers and contribute to pollution incidents.
And unlike a Halloween horror story, these problems don’t disappear when the lights come on.
Jay Harris, Wastewater Director at South West Water, said:
“A baby doll blocking a sewer is certainly one of the more unusual things we’ve come across recently, but our teams often find items that simply shouldn’t be in the sewer network.
“Every day our teams work behind the scenes to keep the network flowing and protect the environment, often dealing with the consequences of things that have been incorrectly flushed or disposed of.
“While some discoveries can be surprising, they highlight an important message. The sewer network is designed to carry wastewater, and unexpected items can cause blockages that put pressure on the network and increase the risk of flooding and pollution.
“That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to think before they flush this Hallowe’en and help keep the network flowing.”
South West Water is reminding customers to only flush three Ps, pee, poo and paper, and dispose of their waste responsibly.
Because when it comes to our sewers, the things lurking beneath our streets might be surprising, but the real nightmare is what happens when the wrong things go down the drain.
For more information visit Bin it don't block it.