The ex-soldier begins the battle against the fatbergs

An ex-soldier works in the Midlands to fight fatbergs. Kirsty McIntyre, who served in the Royal Logistics Corps, works to unclog clogged drains with non-biodegradable wet wipes.

In January, she teamed up with colleague Fran Kai to tackle the problem on Severn Trent’s network. Kirsty said her campaign started after she helped a family whose garden had become unusable due to a blocked drain.

Blocked drains are a problem all over the world and Warwickshire is no exception. Last year, Nuneaton business owners suffered from a clogged pipe that seeped raw sewage and emitted gut-wrenching odors near the Nisa Foods store on Arbury Street.

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Kirsty said: “One of my first jobs was at a property where a garden had flooded and the smell was terrible. I lifted the manhole cover and wet wipes were the cause.

“The family that lived there had children and dogs but they couldn’t use the garden until we could unlock it.”

Colleague Fran recounted another job where a blockage on a property resulted in five to six bags of wet wipes being removed from the drain: “They are definitely the biggest problem we have in terms of blockages, along with the fats, oils and greases that can cause. fatbergs.

“The best part of the job is helping clients who are truly grateful when we show up and work to unblock their drain.”

The two said that often the person who called them was not responsible, and it could just as well have been caused by a neighbor or someone five doors down. If it was clear that they were responsible, they would give polite, friendly advice that they should only flush the three Ps – poo, pee and paper.

Kirsty, who served in the army for four years before tackling the region’s clogged drains, said she found the job very rewarding. She added: “They are always so appreciative of the work we do and give us lots of cups of tea while we work, which is lovely.”

Despite the messy nature of the job, colleagues say they love their work. Fran said: “Before Severn Trent I was working with people I had nothing in common with, so when you’re doing an 11 hour shift it can become as hard as the work. But working with Kirsty is great fun and we have a lot in common.”

Wet wipes containing plastic face a potential ban under new government legislation. Around two and a half tonnes of tissues and other items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet are flushed down our drains every week, roughly the same weight as an African elephant.

Severn Trent also says that even some products that claim to be biodegradable may not be, and that alongside wet wipes, kitchen rolls, nappies and sanitary products have also been major causes of blockages.

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