8-foot Wipesaur dinosaur on the prowl in Sheffield

Yorkshire Water is sending out an eight-foot tall ‘Wipesaur’ dinosaur mascot to pound the streets of Sheffield to help educate residents about the problems wet wipes can cause to their local sewer system.
The WipesaurThe Wipesaur
The Wipesaur

Every year, Yorkshire Water is called out to repair more than 30,000 sewer blockages across the region, costing £2.4 million with 40% of these blockages being caused by wet wipes flushed down toilets.

Yorkshire Water has identified the S5 postcode as the highest number of blockages caused by wet wipes in the city, up to eight times more than the regional average. Pouring fats, oils and grease down the kitchen sink is also an issue as they stick to the insides of the pipes and can also cause blockages.

The WipesaurThe Wipesaur
The Wipesaur
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Adrian Flanagan, leading the blockages campaign for Yorkshire Water said: “Flushing wet wipes, even so-called ‘flushable wipes’ is a major issue for us. All wipes contain plastic which don’t break down in the sewer and over time can build up and cause blockages.

“We will have community engagement teams working across these areas for the next month to help spread the message of the importance of looking after the sewer network.

“They’ll be giving out free anti-blockage packs with items such as kitchen sink strainers and shower hair catchers to use in the home. If you spot the eight-foot tall ‘Wipesaur’ dinosaur mascot feel free to take a selfie and share on social media!”

Yorkshire Water’s community team will also be handing out novelty prizes to passers-by, if they take a selfie with the ‘Wipesaur’ and manage to unlock a prize box with the correct key.

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To help spread the message, Yorkshire Water has set up a £40,000 community fund which local charities and organisations can apply for. It takes just 10 minutes to fill in the form at www.yorkshirewater.com/antiblockage.

For more information on Yorkshire Water's blockages campaign, go to www.yorkshirewater.com/blockages 

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