Scottish Water came across an unusual item of clothing causing sewage issues in East Ayrshire last week.

The discovery was made at Buchans Bridge waste water pumping station near Dalmellington when Scottish Water workers were alerted to a blockage in one of the pumps.

It turned out to be a Spider Man T-shirt that was causing the issue.

On further inspection workers were met with the ragged T-shirt clumped together with wipes and other items which had been wrongly flushed down the toilet.

The t-shirt causing the issues. (Image- Scottish Water)

Ross Graham, waste water treatment team leader with the utility firm, said: “Why anyone would think it was a good idea to flush an item of clothing down the toilet is beyond me – this could have had serious implications on our sewer network, not to mention the environmental impact it could have had if a sewer had become blocked and burst as a result.

"It’s absolutely ridiculous and meant that resources and time were wasted having to deal with it.

“Be a superhero, not a villain. Our Nature Calls campaign urges everyone to think twice before flushing anything other than pee, poo and toilet paper. All other items, including wipes, should go in the bin.

"By doing this we can all play an important role in helping to protect our environment.” 

While this is an extreme example of inappropriate items being put into the waste water system, across Scotland Scottish Water deals with over 36,000 blockages a year at a cost to customers of £7 million.

It’s an unnecessary drain on resources and completely preventable if people follow the advice to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and toilet paper.

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