While man-made blockages are a common occurrence in Britain’s sewer network, Yorkshire Water were left with a huge repair job on their hands when they found that gallons of wet concrete had been illegally poured into a sewer in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.

This blockage under Waterloo Road in the town has affected the entire system and a significant operation is underway to remove it. The pipe flow has been severely compromised in some places and so the road works, which began this week, are widespread (at a 15 metre stretch).

Drain maintenance contractors have been called in as a CCTV inspection revealed the scale of the problem. Local property owners were the first to notice flooding under their homes.

A new pipe is needed due to the damage caused by the concrete, although a waste cutter and high pressure water jetting were used in the first instance to see if they could prevent the need for excavation work.

Project manager for Yorkshire Water, John Bond, said:

“For someone to pour such a huge quantity of concrete into the sewer is quite simply an act of vandalism, and one that has already had awful consequences for several local property owners.

“Whilst we regularly remove hundreds of man-made blockages from our sewers, we’ve never seen anything like this and simply can’t believe someone would be so irresponsible as to pour such a huge volume of concrete down a drain.

“Our priority now is to get this blockage removed as quickly as possible, with the minimum amount of fuss and disruption.”

This summer a regional water and sewerage operator is to take to the streets to spread the message about how the public can do their bit to prevent blockages in the sewers.

Yorkshire Water has just got their ‘Are You Doing the Dirty?’ campaign underway as it goes out and about to places like Scarborough, Sheffield, York and Leeds to educate people in why many sewer flooding incidents occur.

The company are giving away a number of freebies as part of the campaign while prizes can also be won.

It has taken these steps to meet the public and make them aware of this issue as around 37 percent of sewer blockages were found to have been preventable. They were due to the wrong things being put down sinks and toilets causing blockages and sewer flooding.

The campaign is aimed at reducing the damage and devastation caused to homes in the region and to lower the chances that pipes will become blocked.

Everyone is reminded of the fact that they can help with this by just changing their behaviour somewhat. Yorkshire Water has issued guidelines on this to tackle the problem of home flooding.

For any serious blockages or flooding of your home or business, it is always advisable to speak to the drain maintenance specialists to address this issue.

The bathroom is one of the rooms in a home which is used the most. From brushing your teeth by the sink to using the shower, which is generally located over a bath these days, it is important for the drains to be working as they should to effectively remove any waste water. However, it is often the case that the sink and bath can become blocked, so it is useful to bear in mind the following solutions.

Water not emptying in the sink

If you are experiencing a blocked sink, with the water not draining, then you should try using a plunger in the first instance. This should hopefully clear any debris blocking the sink, but if it doesn’t resolve the issue, the pipe underneath it may be the cause. Be careful when checking the pipe though as a bucket should be placed below it to collect any water. If you find that the pipe is clear then the waste pipe needs to be looked at next.

Water filling up the bath when showering

In this instance it is usually the case that hair and debris is blocking the waste pipe. Anything visible should be removed to clear the plug hole. You can try using a piece of wire to pull any more debris from the pipe.

When you cannot seem to sort out these bathroom issues, it is recommended you speak to the drainage specialists.

In the last article we looked at one scenario whereby having a drain maintenance contract would be cost effective as the experts could utilise their experience and access to the right machinery to remove any blockages in the system. However, the programme is incredibly useful over the longer term.

Drain repairs are only there to rectify a problem, but regular maintenance can prevent this from occurring in the first place. By keeping the drainage system in check, you can ensure that your business is not disrupted by flooding.

The technician will produce a report on the drains and look to remove any rough edges or soiling which could lead to issues in the future. This allows the professionals to devise a course of action in dealing with any blockages.

While maintaining the drains, engineers will work out the best way to tackle anything which could prevent the smooth flow of water in the pipes. You can just leave it all to those with the know-how of working in this area and an annual contract means you are always covered for every eventuality.

For businesses in large cities, a drain maintenance programme would be a good idea, as you could benefit from an unlimited number of call-outs and rest in the knowledge your drainage is being well taken care of.

Many businesses suffer from the problems associated with blocked drains and flooding every year. This can put a strain on their resources and not just in terms of money. The trouble associated with waste water contamination can leave working premises unusable for long periods of time.

This is why a drain maintenance programme or service contract would be beneficial for companies in big cities like London where the drainage system is often working at full capacity.

The following are reasons why this programme could give you peace of mind that your business would be covered throughout the year.

Firstly, should a blockage occur on your premises, professionals have access to the latest technology, which includes high pressure water jetting equipment as well as rotating core plant. Any debris causing the problem can be cleared with the minimum of fuss, while the engineers will also look to establish what caused the issue in the first place.

It is crucial to understand if the area is likely to experience the same problems again, as this can save another visit from the specialists. But with a drainage contract, if there was any further need for work to be done, the technician could be sent round straight away.