Welsh Water spends 'hours' removing sewer wet wipes

Welsh Water say the blockage in Carmarthenshire had almost caused a sewage flood

People have been reminded not to flush wet wipes down the toilet after engineers spent "hours" clearing away a mass of wet wipes from a sewer.

Welsh Water said the blockage in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, had almost caused a sewage flood.

The company said it spends about £5m every year to clear about 20,000 blockages.

A single wet wipe is enough to block a sewer pipe and cause "catastrophic flooding", it said in a statement.

The customer was "spoken to" about the dangers of flushing wipes, said Paul Kingdon, Welsh Water's head of wastewater networks.

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He also warned people to avoid tipping fat, oil and grease down sinks as it can build up in the sewer, causing a flood.

"While the majority of people do the right thing and dispose of wipes in the bin, there are still some that are unknowingly risking their family homes," Mr Kingdon added.

The customer was "spoken to" by Welsh Water

Research by industry body Water UK found wet wipes made up around 93% of the material causing sewer blockages.

Welsh Water said it regularly discovers strange items in the nation's sewers, including giant cuddly toys, tricycles, adult toys, several jars of beetroot - and even a live snake.