'Sewer Monster' visits Manchester schools in bid to educate children on 'what not to flush'

By Charlotte Duncker

Ever flushed something down the toilet that you shouldn’t?

A new campaign by United Utilities is trying to prevent people from flushing the wrong things down the toilet.

The 'What Not To Flush' campaign uses a cartoon called the sewer monster in order to educate people that only human waste and toilet tissue should be flushed down the toilet.

The Sewer Monster has been sent to various schools across Manchester in the hope that they can educate the children that go there.

Brad Mulliner, wastewater project liaison engineer for United Utilities, said: “The children loved seeing the monster and talking about the grisly topic of sewers and toilets.

“But they had a very clear understanding of what should and not be flushed away – and hopefully they’ll teach their parents to be just as responsible.”

United Utilities most recently used April Fool’s day as an opportunity to promote their campaign.

They shot CCTV footage of an unidentified creature in Manchester sewers to emphasise the dangers of flushing the wrong thing down the toilet.

Rose Francis, United Utilities campaign manager, said: “The real monsters lurking in the sewers are the baby wipes, cotton buds and nappies which clog up pipes and cause flooding. It’s a big issue, as the resulting flooding can cause real distress for households, and pollute local watercourses.

“By using a bin in the bathroom instead of flushing waste, many of these flooding incidents can be avoided. What Not To Flush is designed to highlight the issue in an attention-grabbing and fun way.”

Statistics show that 70% of people from Manchester admit to having put unsuitable items down the toilet.

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Dave Hodson- Ridgway, a Manchester plumber, thinks people need to remember that it is a toilet and not to flush inappropriate things down the toilet.

Speaking of things he has found down the toilet, he said: “We get called out to unblock a lot of toilets in pubs and clubs and we mainly find purses, wallets and credit cards down there. I once found a silver mickey mouse which was a nice little find.”

Becky Edwards, from Stretford, does not see the issue with flushing things down the toilet.

She said: “I can understand why you wouldn’t flush a nappy down there but I don’t really see the issue in flushing something like cotton wool buds down there.  The drains should be built well enough to be able to deal with these sort of things.”

United Utilities say their message is simple – only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. For everything else, use a bin.

For more information visit www.whatnottoflush.com

What's the weirdest thing you've ever flushed down a toilet? Accidently lost your diamond ring down there perhaps? Share your stories in the comments box below...