A WATER company has launched a campaign to reduce sewer flooding in Worcestershire.

Severn Trent Water has launched the campaign across Worcestershire and Gloucestershire to persuade the public to watch what they flush.

There have already been nearly 5,000 sewer blockages so far this year across Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

The majority of blockages are caused by items such as wet wipes, sanitary products, fats, oils and greases being flushed or poured into kitchen sinks.

The company hopes its ‘Sewer Savvy’ campaign will help raise awareness to reduce blockages and sewer flooding.

Paul Louth, waste water manager for Severn Trent, said: “Sewer blockages in the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire area are often caused by people putting things down their toilets and sinks.

"Once flushed, items get stuck in the sewer pipes and cause sewage to back up and flood into homes and gardens. "Anyone who has had sewer flooding will know how devastating it can be, so we hope that the campaign will educate our customers on the ‘dos and don’t’ of what to put down the sinks and toilets to prevent sewer flooding happening in the first place.

“Sewers are only designed to cope with toilet paper and human waste. So some of the things people flush down the toilet, like sanitary products, wipes or nappies, can easily snag on the inside of a pipe and block it.

"And, because some of the sewer pipes are only a few inches wide, any fats or oils you pour down your sink can build up on the inside of it, clogging it up – even if you rinse it off with boiling water. But all this can easily be avoided, by people disposing of items in the bin, and not the toilet or sink.”