A Welsh grandmother is calling for people to be sensible with what they flush - after her garden was flooded with sewage.

73-year-old Christine has pleaded for members of the public to dispose of items such as unflushable wipes and sanitary products properly, following a distressing discovery in her beloved garden.

The Aberdare resident found one morning that a blockage in the sewer system – triggered by the very items she now cautions against – had filled her backyard with raw sewage.

She remembered the profound shock she experienced, saying: “I woke up in the morning to the devastation in my garden caused by sewage. I was shocked at how the mess had covered my entire garden.

"I was upset and angry and couldn’t believe how much raw sewage had overflowed on to my property. Amongst the sewage, I also saw wipes and sanitary towels.”

South Wales Argus: The cause was a blockage in the sewage pipes from wet wipes and sanitary towels being flushedThe cause was a blockage in the sewage pipes from wet wipes and sanitary towels being flushed (Image: Welsh Water)

On inspection, the Welsh Water team confirmed the incident was due to “sewer abuse.”

Once alerted, they promptly arrived at Christine's home, inspected the sewage lines, and cleared the blockage. They also cleaned her patio and primary walkways to the house.

Post-clean-up, it took seven days to restore the garden, which required replenishing gravel and repainting a damaged fence.

Christine, who takes great pleasure in maintaining her garden, was upset about the cause of the flood. She said: “My garden is my pride and joy, and I spend a lot of time gardening and enjoying my space, especially during warmer days.” When she understood the recklessness that led to the flooding, she was peeved.

“When I realised that this flood had been caused by other people flushing things they shouldn’t, I was angry and frustrated – I couldn’t believe they thought this was okay to do,” she added.

Christine supports Welsh Water’s 'Stop the Block' campaign to educate people on disposing of items correctly to avoid subsequent scenarios this incident exposed her to.

She appealed to anyone still improperly disposing of their waste, saying: “To anyone who is still flushing wipes – stop! Do not flush anything other than the three Ps - pee, poo and (toilet) paper - down the toilet.”

Confirming the recurrence of these sewer system abuses, Ed Bennett, head of waste water networks at Welsh Water, said: “Unfortunately, these types of situations are a daily occurrence for us at Welsh Water. Our colleagues work around the clock removing blockages from our sewer systems that could easily be prevented if customers stop treating their loos as bins."

People are encouraged to learn more about the 'Stop the Block' campaign by visiting the Welsh Water webpage.