Residents told stop flushing condoms down toilet as water firm blasts villagers for blocked sewers

Alice Tomlinson
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:56:05 +0000

Residents in Swindon have been told to stop flushing their condoms down the toilet as water firm blasts villagers over blocked sewers.

Thames Water has issued a stern warning to residents of Tadpole Garden Village in Swindon after the local sewage pumping station experienced multiple failures.

The water firm blamed the problems on householders disposing of condoms, wet wipes and cooking fats through their toilets, causing significant damage to the drainage infrastructure.

Large quantities of contraceptives flushed into the sewer network led to the pumping station systems breaking down, according to Thames Water.

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Photographs released by the company revealed unpleasant scenes of congealed fat masses tangled with wet wipes and condoms wrapped around sewage equipment.

The utility firm sent letters directly to households in the Wiltshire housing estate, alerting them to the ongoing difficulties their disposal habits were creating for local sewerage systems, the Sun reports.

In correspondence to affected households, Thames Water outlined how the accumulation of unsuitable items flushed into the sewerage network had triggered a fault at the pumping station serving the area.

"Flushing these items causes serious problems for the pumps within the sewage pumping station, leading to blockages and mechanical failures," the letter stated.

The company revealed that the recent incident also knocked out its telemetry systems, which are crucial for monitoring equipment remotely and enabling swift responses to emerging problems.

"When they fail, problems can go undetected for longer, increasing the risk of damage and disruption," Thames Water warned.

The letter described the resulting blockage as "unpleasant, disruptive and potentially harmful" to the local community.

Haydon Wick Parish Councillor Vinay Manro confirmed the extent of the damage to essential infrastructure in the area.

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"Thames Water confirmed that pumping station failures in Tadpole have been caused by a build-up of condoms, wet wipes, and fats being flushed into the system," he said.

The councillor emphasised that these materials fail to decompose and are causing harm to vital equipment.

Mr Manro added: "These materials do not break down and are damaging critical infrastructure."

One particular incident occurred near Tadpole Lane, in the stretch between Oakhurst Way roundabout and the Swindon & Cricklade Railway bridge.

"A blockage forced the pumping station to stop operating," the councillor explained, highlighting the severity of the situation facing local residents.

To keep water flowing to homes in the affected area, Thames Water was forced to deploy tanker vehicles as an emergency measure.

Mr Manro added: "Tankers had to be brought in to maintain water services to homes."

The parish councillor called on local residents to change their disposal practices and stop putting these items down their toilets.

The materials causing the blockages simply cannot be processed by the sewerage system, making proper disposal in household waste bins essential.

Thames Water's letter made clear that condoms, wet wipes and fats should never be flushed, as they create serious operational problems for pumping equipment.

The water company continues to urge residents to consider the consequences of their disposal choices on shared infrastructure.