Baby doll blocking Exmouth sewer among strange items found in South West Water network
The company is reminding customers to only flush pee, poo and paper
A baby doll blocking a sewer in Exmouth and a pair of pants in a pipe in Exeter are among the unusual items found by South West Water teams this year.
The company has revealed the finds ahead of Halloween.
It said its teams regularly come across items that were never meant to enter the sewer network while carrying out routine maintenance and investigations across the region.
Some of its recent finds include a baby doll causing a blockage in Exmouth and a pair of pants discovered in a pipe in Exeter.
A sack of rubble stuffed into a sewer, a lone shoe recovered from a sewer and a children's toy buried among concrete underground were also found.
The company said the finds highlight the challenges its teams face every day to keep the network flowing and stop small problems becoming bigger issues.
South West Water said its teams work to keep more than 25,000 kilometres of sewers flowing across the region.
It said that includes investigating reports of blockages, carrying out repairs, maintaining the network and responding to problems.
The company said this work helps protect homes, businesses, communities and the environment.
South West Water said items that enter the sewer network can become trapped in pipes, causing blockages and restricting the flow of wastewater.
It said these blockages can increase the risk of sewer flooding, disrupt services for customers and contribute to pollution.
Jay Harris, Wastewater Director at South West Water, said: “A baby doll blocking a sewer is certainly one of the more unusual things we’ve come across recently, but our teams often find items that simply shouldn’t be in the sewer network.
“Every day our teams work behind the scenes to keep the network flowing and protect the environment, often dealing with the consequences of things that have been incorrectly flushed or disposed of.
“While some discoveries can be surprising, they highlight an important message. The sewer network is designed to carry wastewater, and unexpected items can cause blockages that put pressure on the network and increase the risk of pollution.
“That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to think before they flush this Hallowe’en and help keep the network flowing.”
South West Water is reminding customers to only flush pee, poo and paper, and to dispose of their waste responsibly.