Ask Severn Trent’s Terry Churchill what he loves most about his job tackling gross sewer blockages and he says: “Helping customers – and reminding them what NOT to flush.”
The football crazy 46-year-old is among teams called out to unblock pipes and drains clogged with everything from wet wipes to the fats, oils and greases which can lead to fatbergs. In the worst cases, they can result in sewage flooding back into homes and gardens.
Terry and crew mate Luke Hufton, 25, rapidly respond to the gross blockages across Nottinghamshire.
This spring Severn Trent is asking customers to ‘Be a Binner, Not a Blocker’ after their teams cleared a massive 28,782 blockages last year. The company is now urging people to only put the 3Ps down toilets – poo, pee and paper – and never put fats, oils and greases down sinks or drains.
And lifelong Nottingham Forest fan Terry has seen first-hand the upset caused by people putting the wrong thing down the drains. That can leave offending householders facing a lengthy bill as it can be their responsibility to pay for damaging blockages they have caused.
Terry said: “We’ve turned up at homes where people have suffered flooding in gardens caused by blockages and the householder is in tears. We get to work and sort the problem out as quickly as we can and when we leave they are so thankful. That’s the best part of the job for me, I live for that.
“I also love the problem solving involved because some of our jobs are far from straightforward.”
Terry added: “Wet wipes are still the number one problem, people really should not be flushing them down the toilet, including ones that claim they are flushable as they do not break down.
“And fats, oils and greases should never be put in the sink or drains as they can also cause fatbergs – I’ve seen whole pipes blocked because of them.”
And it is not only blockages that Terry and Luke find when unblocking drains. “We find all kinds of things,” said Terry. “I’ve found penny coins from three monarchs Queen Victoria, Kind Edward VI and the late Queen!”
Dad-of-one Terry has worked at Severn Trent for 18 months, having previously worked for a sub-contractor in the waste industry. Before that he had worked many jobs, including bar work, as a DJ and in security, having ‘turned his life around’ as a teenager.
“I was in care as a youngster and had been a young offender as a teenager,” he said. “But I decided to turn my life around after getting the support of a family I knew who offered me a proper home. I wanted to repay them and worked hard and never looked back.
“My story shows everyone deserves a second chance – I even appeared on TV once to tell my story on The Time, The Place.”
Outside of work, Terry enjoys watching his beloved and high-flying Nottingham Forest with his teenage daughter. He said: “The team has had a phenomenal year and have a chance of winning the FA Cup. I’d just love a day out at Wembley with my daughter.”
Grant Mitchell, sewer blockages lead at Severn Trent, said everyone can help with the Be a Binner, Not a Blocker campaign.
He said: “Unflushable items such as wet wipes, sanitary products, nappies and a whole lot more cannot be flushed down the toilet. If they do they can cause blockages, which can flood the home which is not very nice at all.
“This spring, we are asking people to really have a think about their habits and what they are putting down the sink and see if there are any smalls changes that can be made. Even small changes can have a huge impact on sewer health.”
For more information on blockages and how keep your home protected visit www.stwater.co.uk/avoidblockages.
