Some of the most common reasons for drain blockages in London are caused by residents themselves.

Don’t flush non-disposable items

One of the most common reasons for a drain blockage in London is due to a homeowner disposing of an item down the toilet which is not meant to be there. Flushed things which are found by drainage teams when they attend a blockage include nappies, sanitary wear, contraceptives, hand wipes and make up. If people stopped using their toilet like a general waste bin, the number of blockages would be reduced greatly.

Don’t dispose of food scraps down the sink

Many homeowners persist in the practice of scraping flood scraps down the sink. The accumulation of this food waste can eventually cause a blockage under the sink which if difficult to shift. Worse still, some homeowners dispose of liquid fat down the sink, which when cold solidifies and blocks the drainage pipes completely.

Scale build up

In hard water areas like London, lots of problems are caused by scale. Scale is a natural mineral deposit which builds up on the insides of drainage pipes. In the worst cases scale can block a pipe completely, but it is usually found that the scale creates a rough surface on the inside of the drain where other debris gets caught and hence causes a blockage.

If you have problems with blocked drainage you’ll need to phone a company that can come to investigate what is causing the problem and be able to put the problem right at the first time of asking. However, finding a reliable drainage company in London can be a rather difficult task.

Some of the things to look out for when looking for a drainage company in London include:

Root removal

There are some drainage or sewer blockages that are not caused by debris or by pipe collapse. Some blockages are in fact caused by roots finding their way into the drainage system and blocking the pipes. Roots love the easy source of water they find when they make their way into a drain, so they quickly multiply causing a blockage. Some London drainage companies offer root removal services, where the insert a spinning root cutter into the drain which trims the roots back to the pipe diameter.

CCTV surveys

Not all blockages can be solved by high pressure water jetting. In some instances a drainage company may have to perform a CCTV survey of the drain to find out what is causing the blockage. If you choose a company which offers this service, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that they have the right equipment to find and solve any drainage problem.

United Utilities have begun digging in a historic area of Blackburn, sparking an interest in the town’s industrial heritage.

Due to the potential of finding something significant during the dig, experts form NP Archaeology will be on site during the excavation to spot potential artefacts.

The waste water company are currently in the process of upgrading the town’s sewer system, which will prevent sewage being discharged into the river Darwen at times of heavy rainfall. The work at Cob Wall is taking place in two phases over the next two years.

United Utilities will also be constructing an underground waste water storage tank to capture excess stormwater in a car park off Preston Old Road.

The United Utilities project manager on the job, Carly Atherton said:

“This project is all about creating a cleaner, greener future for Blackburn. Improving the quality of local rivers and coastal waters is vital for the environment, for tourism and for business. We will be doing everything we can to minimise disruption during the two new phases of work.

“The work in Cob Wall is especially interesting from an archaeological point of view, as this part of Blackburn was the site of many industrial revolution era textile mills. The archaeologists will be working shoulder to shoulder with our engineers, to make sure any significant artefacts are preserved.”

Thames Water has just launched a scheme which will help protect residents in Leytonstone from the chances of sewer flooding.

The scheme will be taking place for three months and will see sewers around High Road in Leytonstone increase in size. It is being completed by Thames Water drainage contractors.

Approximately 1km of sewerage will be replaced by the contractors which should stop sewer flooding, a problem which residents have complained about for a number of years.

The programme delivery manager for Thames Water, Mark Taylor, stated:

“Sewer flooding is a truly miserable experience and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect our customers by making the network fit for the future.

“We are sorry for any disruption caused but we ask customers to bear with us while we get this essential work done.”

The work will take place along roads including, Belton Road, Argyle Road, Borthwick Road, Hall Road, Downsell Road and Victoria Road.

The Waltham Forest Council cabinet member, Clyde Loakes stated:

“We have been working closely with Thames Water to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and to make sure the Olympic 2012 street scene improvement works, particularly along the High Road, are not affected.”

There are many reasons why a person may phone a drain cleaning company in London, but perhaps the most common is due to them having a blocked drain.

Drains can be blocked by many things, from the inadvertent flushing of a non-disposable item down the toilet, to pipe collapse. However, when you contact a professional drain cleaning company they will be able to help with most problems.

Drainage blocked by debris

If your drains are found to be blocked due to debris, the usual method of repair is drain jetting. In this process a jet of water at high pressure is directed down the drain, which is usually enough to break up the clog.

Drainage blocked by roots

If the drainage company find that your drainage pipes are blocked by roots they will be able to insert a spinning root cutter into the drain to trim away any roots they find. They will then usually be able to repair the pipe in situ without any exaction by means of a resin pipe liner.

Drainage blocked by pipe collapse

If your drainage pipe has collapsed or deviated significantly, the drainage company will be able to locate the exact point at which this has happened and then excavate a small area to replace the damaged section, thus minimising disruption to the surrounding area.