A MASS of wet wipes stuck in a sewer in Abertillery took Welsh Water workers several hours to unblock and nearly caused a sewage flood, the company has said.

Workers were called to a property in Abertillery after a customer reported a blocked drain earlier this month.

It was cleared by two sewerage operatives, Elliott Gray and Robert Congreve, who spent several hours retrieving all the wipes from the single blockage.

South Wales Argus:

The wipes filled four bin bags

The company has called on all customers to avoid flushing any wet wipes down the toilet – warning that flushing just one wipe can result in sewers becoming blocked and flooding homes and businesses.

Imogen Brown, Welsh Water's Head of Wastewater Networks, said: "Just a single wet wipe is enough to start a blockage in your sewer pipe and risks causing catastrophic flooding in your home.”

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Wet wipes are often wrongly labelled as flushable and are thought to be present in around 93 per cent of all blockages.

Ms Brown added: “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.

“This incident in Abertillery is a stark reminder that only the three 'Ps' should be going into your toilet - pee, poo and (toilet) paper - and everything else should either be recycled or put in your bin.”

The company has also warned that customers should avoid tipping turkey fat, gravy and other leftovers down the plughole this Christmas – as they can cause fat, oil and grease to build up in the sewer.

The company has now written to all properties connected to the pipe to explain the impact of flushing wipes and asking them to dispose of them responsibly.