Blocked sewers are never pleasant and can often cause significant disruption/damage. Let’s look at some of the most unusual things that have been found in sewers, some of which caused significant blockages.
1. A trio of badgers
In the summer of June 2022, a family of badgers was found inside an empty sewage tank. The badgers had seemingly fallen into the space together from quite a height. Fortunately, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was able to get to them and hand them over to the Scottish SPCA, which rehabilitated and safely released them back into the wild.
- A duck
Having wandered into a pipe, possibly in search of food, a duck appeared to somehow get stuck. It was spotted during a CCTV drain survey, and the engineers from Wessex Water were able to extract it without injury and send it on its merry way.
Drain experts and CCTV drain surveys
CCTV drain surveys are a simple and effective way of examining drains, including sewers, for any issues/damage. There are plenty of companies that specialise in drain systems and offer CCTV drain surveys. Many of these also have useful online resources for your perusal, such as www.drainpower.co.uk/drainage-services/cctv-drain-surveys/.
3. A 300-tonne fatberg
Although fatbergs are commonly found in sewers in larger cities, this fatberg was a particularly large one. Weighing the equivalent of 150 rhinos, it was over a metre high and around a kilometre in length. It was discovered in the Hodge Hill area of Birmingham after a number of residents had experienced problems and took many weeks to fully clear.
4. A garden shed
Severn Trent engineers reported finding several pieces of a dismantled garden shed causing blockages in their sewers.
5. Sheets of counterfeit money
In 2023, Anglia Water engineers discovered entire sheets of counterfeit notes within a local drainage system. No one is sure how they got there, but perhaps someone got confused about money laundering!
6. A fax machine
This is another bizarre one! Scottish Water engineers working in East Kilbride discovered a fax machine (intact) in one of their manholes.