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Protecting the environment, communities and nature across our region is very important to us. That's why we're investing more than ever to reduce pollutions, care for rivers, and strengthen the systems that keep water where it should be.
But if they do happen, we want to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. If you spot something that doesn't look right in a watercourse, and you suspect it's sewage, please let us know by calling us on 03457 145 145 or reporting the issue online.
Things to look out for in the water:
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Once you've contacted us
Tell us as much information about the problem to help us get things sorted quickly, including:
- What you found and when
- Whether it's a river, stream or other watercourse
- Where you found the problem, using a landmark or what3words to help us find it
We'll investigate quickly by working closely with the Environment Agency to work out the cause and put things right. This includes clearing a sewer blockage, cleaning the affected area, and doing lots of checks to make sure the watercourse is back to normal.
What causes pollutions
Over a third of pollutions are caused by wipes, sanitary products, leftover cooking fats and grease blocking pipes. Once blocked, wastewater can come back up through manholes and into rivers or streams, which can be harmful to local wildlife.
Other things like chemical spills and farming run-off can also cause pollutions. We also have our part to play in monitoring our sites and storm overflows to help protect the environment and the communities we serve.
What we're doing
To protect the environment and local communities, our teams work 24/7 keeping sewers flowing – clearing, monitoring and maintaining pipes and pumps. To do this, we're using smart technology to alert us of blockages before they become a problem, reducing the risk of avoidable sewer flooding and potential pollutions.
We're also investing more than ever to reduce storm spills by adding more storage so the sewer network can handle up to seven times more rainfall for growing communities. Through our commitment to protect our region's rivers, streams and beaches from harm we're upgrading our pipes, pumps and sites in our plan to 2030-all to reduce pollutions.
How you can help
Making small changes at home to bin all wipes, sanitary products and leftover cooking fats will help to avoid blocked pipes that lead to floodings and pollutions. Help protect your local environment by remembering to Just Bin It and follow our simple at home tips to avoid blocked pipes.