At TWC Draincare, we spend a lot of time advising our clients — and the general public — on what they can safely flush, and what they should avoid introducing into their drainage systems. However, some of the strange objects found in sewers over the years have made us chuckle and wince: here are some of our favourite stories of unlikely drain blockages!
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Three Badgers
In June 2022, a family of three badgers were found curled up together in an empty sewage tank, having fallen 16ft into the space. With some quick thinking from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish SPCA, all three badgers were rehabilitated and safely released back into the wild.
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A Fax Machine
Yes, you read that correctly. Scottish Water has also reported that someone dumped an intact fax machine into one of their manholes in East Kilbride.
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A Dora the Explorer Doll
Found by Severn Trent Water workers, we’re assuming that she got lost on an adventure. Swiper, no flushing!
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A Hungry Duck
Thought to have wandered into a pipe in Gloucestershire in search of food, this feathery fiend was spotted on some very comical CCTV drain survey footage, before being safely extracted without injury by Wessex Water engineers.
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A 300-Tonne Fatberg
Removed from the Hodge Hill area of Birmingham, this colossal fatberg weighed the same as 150 rhinoceros and was approximately 1 kilometre in length!
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A Garden Shed
Severn Trent engineers have reported finding pieces of a dismantled garden shed in their sewers. How do you think it got there?
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Sheets of Counterfeit Money
Anglia Water engineers were as baffled by this as the TWC team are, but apparently, entire sheets of counterfeit notes were recovered from their drainage systems in 2023.
For advice on drain care and avoiding blockages, you can contact the TWC team here.