Anglian Water

Customers at Freshney Place Shopping Centre had to watch their step after a huge “hole” appeared in the ground. The gaping drop outside Primark was in fact a 3D art project commissioned as part of Anglian Water’s Keep It Clear campaign depicting a burst water main. The aim of the project was to make people aware of the large number of unnecessary items being flushed every year.

Last year alone, there were nearly 300 avoidable blockages in Grimsby caused by people not disposing of wipes and cooking fats properly. And clearing blockages caused by wipes and other unflushable items along with cooking fats, oils and greases costs Anglian Water more than £7 million a year.

The firm’s collection manager Martin Taylor said: “By not putting things like food, fats and wipes down the drain we can all help avoid blocked pipes, sewer flooding, pollution and bad smells that result. Fats quickly cool and solidify once down the drain, blocking the pipes. When this combines with wipes and other sanitary items wrongly placed in the sewer, they form giant ‘fatbergs’ and blockages that are difficult to shift and can cause sewage to back up and overflow, flooding homes and gardens.”

Unfortunately, even some wipes labelled “flushable” or “biodegradable” don’t break up fast enough to make it through the water recycling process. With one in every two adults in the UK buying some kind of wipe, this is a rapidly growing problem. Martin continues: “Many people do the right thing already; recycling used cooking oil and food waste, and placing wipes and sanitary products in the bin. The Keep It Clear campaign is about getting everyone to understand the responsibility we all share to keep the sewers flowing and protect ourselves and our neighbours from the misery and inconvenience of sewer flooding. The street art is a fun way of showing people what a mess the sewers end up in if fats and wipes are not disposed of properly.”

Customer Margaret Parker, 84, said: “It’s really good. People might take notice and realise what they’re flushing or what’s going down their sink. I don’t put anything I shouldn’t down my drain and I think more people should be aware of the risks of doing so.”

The event’s manager, Carol Primett, added: “The image proved really popular and it just naturally attracts people of all ages who want to know what it is and take pictures of it. It’s an important issue and social media helps it spread even further. We have also been working with VANEL and the team at Enfuse who really help get the message across to young people, who are often hard to reach.”