South West Water has revealed the scale of work involved in keeping its sewer network flowing, clearing more than 7,000 blockages and removing around 450 tonnes of waste in 2024/25.
Three-quarters of these blockages were caused by fats, oils and grease (FOG) combining with wet wipes, sanitary products and leftover food flushed or poured down drains. These blockages can lead to flooding, bad smells and pollution in rivers and seas.
To prevent this, wastewater teams run a year-round cleaning and inspection programme across the region, using cameras to locate problem areas and high-pressure jet washers to remove FOG buildup. The waste is then processed safely at treatment works.
Exmouth remains one of the focus areas, with 25 blockages cleared at key sites including Lime Kilns, Sheppard’s Row and Imperial Road Pumping Stations over the past year.
Operations Manager Jenny Eamer said FOG is “one of the biggest preventable problems” and urged people to help by changing small everyday habits. She added that only flushing “pee, poo and paper” and putting wet wipes and food waste in the bin can make a real difference to keeping sewers running smoothly.
South West Water says its teams will continue their proactive inspections to protect communities and the environment from avoidable blockages.
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