Disgusting mess

The answer in Castlerock is everything from nappies, to cotton buds and baby wipes.

NI Water recently carried out investigations into the sewerage infrastructure in the Castlerock area following a large sewer blockage.

Brian Donaghy, NI Water’s local Area Field Manager, explains: “NI Water responded to reports of a blocked sewer at Liffock Park in Castlerock and found the cause to be a large blockage of inappropriate items.

“Amongst those items were significant amounts of baby wipes and sanitary items.

“Unfortunately, this is an all too common problem, and we appeal to customers not to flush items like these down the toilet.

“NI Water spends many thousands of pounds every year in unblocking sewers, and we have issued every property in the estate with a copy of our ‘Bag It and Bin It’ leaflet, which will hopefully help to resolve the problem in future. “

To reassure home owners, NI Water say that they have carried out furthe CCTV inspections, and that there is no further evidence of defects or blockages in the sewer.

“There is a common misconception that it is ok to flush wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items when in fact, sewerage systems are not designed to cope with them,” told Mr Donaghy.

“The very nature of wipes and sanitary items is to absorb water, not to break down like toilet roll. Therefore, when in the sewer, they absorb, expand and cause blockages.

“To help the system work properly, we need to use it responsibly. Whilst NI Water has a responsibility for the sewerage system, everyone in Northern Ireland has a duty to dispose of their waste appropriately.”

You can also view first-hand the damage inappropriate items can do to a sewer by visiting http://www.youtube.com/user/northernirelandwater

Log on to our Twitter account and Facebook page and let us know if you have been affected by a blockage.