Success for innovative sewer blockage buster in York

An innovative technique trialled over the last 12 months in part of central York to reduce blockages caused by fats, oils and greases in the city’s sewers has reduced pollutions and sewage escapes caused by fats to zero. 

Yorkshire Water’s network protection, customer field services and innovation teams worked with Cobra Hydro UK Ltd, to install its ‘Micro POP Bio-Blocks’, dosing blocks within the sewer network in a first for large-scale deployment of the technology in the UK. 

The dosing blocks are environmentally friendly and slowly dissolve in the sewer, releasing microbes and enzymes that help to break down fats, reducing the likelihood of blockages and helping to prevent pollution incidents. 

The incorrect disposal of fats, oils and greases down the drain and into the sewers can lead to blockages within the network, when the fats cool. Ultimately, blockages of this nature increase, as fats and other sewage materials, such as wet wipes, bind together which can lead to sewage escaping the network, onto roads or, in the worst case, polluting the local watercourse. 

Since the Bio-Blocks were installed in September 2023, the number of blockages caused by fats in the area of the city, where the blocks were installed, has reduced significantly and there have been no pollution incidents in the river Ouse, in the last 12 months, caused by fats, oils and greases blocking the network.  

The Bio-Blocks are replaced every two months to ensure continuous, and effective enzyme treatment. Taking this proactive course of enzyme dosing, has significantly reduced the fat build-up, travelling through the sewer network. 

Kelly Burke, network protection officer at Yorkshire Water, said: “The trial of the dosing blocks in York has been very successful over. The blocks have helped to reduce incidents of fats, oils and greases causing blockages in the network and clogging up the pipes under the city to zero. In the last 12 months we’ve had no pollution incidents linked to fats, oils and greases and no incidents of sewage escaping the network because of a fat blockage. 

“Alongside installing the Bio Pop dosing blocks, we have been engaging with all food serving establishments in the city to raise awareness of the importance of correct grease management. This will reduce the amount of fats, oils and greases entering the sewers in the first place and help to further reduce incidents of blockages in the network.” 

Clint Jackson, business development director at Cobra Hydro UK Ltd, said: “Since we began this project in 2023, we have provided a cost-effective solution to reduce the fat, oils and grease build up within the sewers under the centre of York. We’re extremely pleased that our enzyme Bio-Blocks have had the desired results."