News

William Shakespeare, The Archers and Teletubbies are just a few good things to come out of Stratford-upon Avon. But Severn Trent has unveiled some findings that the locals may not be so proud of. 

The company has been cleaning the sewer pipes in the famous Warwickshire town after finding enough fat in them to make Romeo and Juliet turn in their graves. 

Aaron McCusker, senior network technician for Severn Trent, says: “Fat and grease are good for lots of things, but one thing they’re definitely not good for is our sewers.  

“When poured down the sink, they quickly solidify and cause blockages in the pipes, which are a lot smaller than people might imagine, and this can lead to the nightmare that is sewer flooding for you or your neighbours.” 

In the last year Severn Trent has been called out to nearly 50,000 blockages across its region, and has found that, across Warwickshire, the sewers are full of fat. As a result, Stratford has experienced nearly 30 floods with customers still at risk if the problem continues. 

“We want people to remember the 3 P’s – that only paper, pee and poo should go down the loo, and all fats, oils and greases from cooking should be binned rather than tipped down the kitchen sink,” said Aaron. “By doing that, you’re helping to prevent your or your neighbour’s home from being flooded.” 

The company looks after 57,000 miles of sewer pipes and collects 32,000 litres of waste water every second, so making sure it’s network is well looked after is important in making sure that its customers are protected. 

“Shakespeare once famously said, ‘all the worlds a stage, and men and women are merely players’ so if we all play our part, we can work to make sure Stratford can be blockage free!” adds Aaron. 

Severn Trent encourages its customers to keep bins in the bathroom and offers a solution to fats, oils and grease by giving away free gunk pots.

To apply for your free gunk pot, visit savewatersavemoney.co.uk.