Anglian Water has announced that its proactive work in key hotspots across the East of England has removed more than 18,000 unflushables, mainly wipes, in blockage hotspots across its sewer network since August. The water company is also reporting an average reduction of 58 per cent in expected blockages across their hotspots compared to other areas. This comes at the start of Unblocktober, an annual awareness month which aims to improve the country’s drains, sewers, watercourses and seas by educating members of the public on what not to put down their drains.

The water company’s blockage reduction programme operates in areas with high blockage rates, taking a targeted operational approach to monitor the sewer network to stop blockages before they cause spills or pollution. And the need is clear: 80% of sewer flooding and 67% of pollutions are caused by wipes, fats, oils and grease (FOG) and other unflushable materials which shouldn’t be entering the sewer network.

Wipes are a major contributor to this problem. Around half a million wipes – that’s equivalent to 9,500 packets – are flushed into the East of England’s sewers every day. When flushed, wipes can mix with fats, oils, and other unflushable items, creating solid blockages because wipes don’t break down like toilet paper and can take over 100 years to decompose — even those labelled ‘flushable’ or ‘fine to flush’.

To tackle this, the water company is using innovative ‘hedgehog’ devices placed in sewers to capture wipes and other unflushable materials in pipes. Following a trial last year in Northampton where the hedgehogs collected 14,948 unflushables in just four months, the devices have been rolled out across 5 new high priority hotspot areas. The results speak for themselves, with the hedgehogs collecting 18,071 unflushables across the hotspot locations in just 8 weeks since they were installed in August.

Combined with community engagement events and Just Bin It education campaign, the work is already having huge success – with blockage rates in some areas down by as much as 90 per cent. Under Section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991 it’s a criminal offence to put anything down the loo or sink which is likely to interfere with the free flow of the sewer – and Anglian Water is hoping to raise awareness of this issue with its customers. Proactive letter drops in communities with high rates of blockages have delivered an average of 58 per cent reduction in blockage numbers, even without the need to progress to enforcement for domestic customers.

In the Anglian Water region, 80% of sewer flooding incidents are caused by blockages, many of which are the result of wipes, FOG and other unflushables entering the sewer system. Last year alone, Anglian Water cleared over 35,000 blockages, removing tonnes of waste that were linked to flooding and pollution events.

Connor Brailsford, Programme Manager at Anglian Water, commented: “Stopping fats, oils, and grease at the source is one of the most effective ways to protect our environment – especially when combined with action on unflushable items like wipes. That’s why we’re working in blockage hotspots across our region to raise awareness and protect local communities by keeping their pipes safe from blockages. We’re really pleased that the work we’re doing is already having such significant positive impacts – but there’s always more we can do, and we need our customers’ support.”

This work forms part of Anglian Water’s wider blockage prevention programme, which includes a partnership with Environmental Compliance and Services (ECAS), working across the water company’s region to tackle commercial sewer misuse and reduce avoidable blockages from businesses. ECAS, on behalf of Anglian Water, engages with food service establishments, providing advice and support on good kitchen habits and grease management practices. Depending on ECAS’s recommendations, the food service establishment will then work with a supplier of their choice to install the necessary equipment.

Since this collaborative effort began in 2019, it has already prevented an estimated 8 million litres of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from entering the sewer network – the same weight as more than 50 blue whales. Keeping this kind of blockage material out of local drains helps prevent pollution, which can be caused when blockages reduce the amount of space in the pipes, forcing untreated wastewater to come back up – not only causing damage and distress, but also potentially pollute nearby watercourses.

Anglian Water’s ‘Just Bin It’ campaign continues to raise awareness of what should and shouldn’t go down the drain. Whether it’s wet wipes, fats, or oils, every small action adds up to big environmental benefits.

Alongside the work in hotspot areas, engineers have been installing high-tech sewer monitors across the East of England to predict and prevent problems before they occur. This technology helps to detect problems and troublesome blockages within sewer pipes, meaning they can be found and fixed sooner, ultimately protecting the wider environment. The system works by using weather forecasts and hundreds of sensors to pre-empt when the network may not be operating at its full capacity, usually indicating a blockage is forming. Anglian Water engineers are then alerted and can proactively clean and jet the sewer before any problems occur.

Connor added: “We’re asking everyone – businesses and customers alike – to take a moment and think before they flush or pour. If it’s not pee, poo, or toilet paper, it belongs in the bin, not the drain. Together, through initiatives like this and everyday good habits, we can protect our homes, rivers, beaches, and the environment for future generations.”