Coronavirus: keeping things flowing.

We’re hugely proud of our colleagues who are responding to emergency drain blockages and carrying out vital flood mitigation work in our community.

As essential ‘sewage’ key workers during the Covid-19 crisis, many of our Wilkinson Environmental team are out unblocking and repairing drainage systems across the region; while others have rapidly (and brilliantly) adapted to working remotely for our new ‘Home Operations’ team.

Protecting our teams – and you

The essential services our team carry out are critical to preventing long-term damage to the Midland’s drainage network and waste water services, and to maintaining people’s health during the coronavirus crisis by ensuring drainage systems keep flowing.

Customer and staff safety is of paramount importance to us, so we are providing our key workers with more PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) than usual like specific face masks, disposable coveralls, sanitising products in vehicles, and guidance on government infection control protocols like social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

What are our key workers doing?

To avoid risk to our amazing Wilkinson Environmental key workers, as they help us deliver service continuity, we are ensuring they only carry out essential services during the coronavirus crisis. This includes things like responding to emergency blockages for customers and water authorities, and completing time sensitive drainage services and waste water services, such as essential flood mitigation work.

How you can help

We’re committed to providing service continuity but want to avoid sending our valued teams to complete any unnecessary drainage services at this time, particularly as Covid-19 has been found present in sewage.

Only flush the 3Ps

To avoid blocked drains, only flush the 3Ps: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper.

That’s particularly important right now, as the panic buying of toilet paper has left many buying wet wipes and kitchen roll as alternatives – both unflushables are big culprits in creating fatbergs, as neither is designed to disintegrate in the same way as toilet paper.

We’ve also seen a big increase in the use of antibacterial and disinfectant wet wipes to fight against coronavirus in the home. These unflushables should never be disposed of in your waste disposal or toilets.

You can learn more about the 3Ps and unflushables here.

Keep your distance

If our teams come out to help you, or you see them in the street, please help us protect staff safety by following the government’s social distancing rules, keeping at least 2 metres from them at all times.

By working together to protect our drains and each other, we can avoid health risks from sewage floods and unnecessary contact between our teams and our communities.

Thank you

We want to say a big thank you to our front line and Home Operations teams for continuing to serve our water authorities and local communities across Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Birmingham and the Midlands during the coronavirus lockdown.

If you need any of our drainage services, you can still get in touch and our experts will help.

As always, they will provide speedy assistance for emergency blockages and essential services, but they can also schedule any non-essential work for after the Covid-19 lockdown has ended.

Many thanks for your patience and support.

Stay safe

Get in touch