Highlands water cycle campaign is making a difference

Issued by Scottish Water

Scottish Water says it has seen a reduction in the number of calls from customers reporting blockages caused by people putting the wrong things down their sinks and toilets.

The utility firm has recently completed the latest phase of its campaign to keep the water cycle running, focusing on Inverness, Dingwall and Thurso - locations selected as being amongst some of the worst in Scotland for blocked pipes.

The campaign team visited nine primary schools and presented to more than 2,000 children about the work Scottish Water do, taking them through the process of the water cycle to ensure they were doing all they could to help keep the water cycle running smoothly.

Chris Wallace, Director of Communications at Scottish Water, said local staff volunteers returned from these visits filled with enthusiasm and armed with interesting and challenging questions that they were asked by pupils:

“Through these visits, broadcast and local advertising and our highly effective partnerships with Highland Council and NHS Highland, the campaign message has achieved a massive reach across the region.

“Since the campaign activity, our contact centre has received fewer calls about sewer and drain blockages than this time last year – something we hope is now set to continue.

“While things may have improved we are looking to keep the message out there and encourage people to change their habits by disposing of kitchen and bathroom waste responsibly and by saving water.”

To date, the campaign has also run nationally and in the identified hotspots of Dunfermline, Hamilton, Dumfries and Stirling and overall the utility has seen a drop in the number of customers contacting Scottish Water about blockages in these areas as well.

To learn more about the campaign visit: www.scottishwater.co.uk/cycle