Yorkshire Water launches LEGO Education programme to raise awareness of sewer blockages

Yorkshire Water has launched a LEGO Education-based programme to raise awareness of the causes of sewer blockages in schools around the region. 

The sessions, which are the first of their kind in the water sector, outline to children what can cause blockages in the sewer network and what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink through the Blockage Buster Challenge. 

As part of the lessons, children work in teams and put their science and engineering skills to the test to build a LEGO robot and program it to travel around a map tackling blockages caused by wet wipes incorrectly flushed down toilets and fats, oils and greases disposed of down sinks rather than into kitchen bins. 

Anne Reed, social value and education manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re delighted to be offering this innovative education programme to schools in our region. Blockages cost us millions of pounds to remove every year and we hope this new session will offer a different way to educate children on what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet or poured down the drain. 

“By providing an interactive and engaging lesson we hope the messages of only flushing the 3Ps – pee, poo and toilet paper – will stick with the children and make its way into their homes to reduce the number of blockages we deal with daily. 

“The sessions we’ve delivered so far have received fantastic feedback from the children and teachers. We’re currently focusing on schools within areas where blockages are a known issue and schools near some of our major infrastructure projects, but we’re intending to roll out the programme further in the coming months, including via a new education centre at a Yorkshire Water site in South Yorkshire, to offer more opportunities for schools to get involved.” 

Children at schools in Batley, Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield and Rotherham have already taken part in the lessons. 

Yorkshire Water has partnered with Getech Education to deliver the sessions and schools within areas where blockages are a regular occurrence or where Yorkshire Water are carrying out infrastructure upgrades and investment have been approached to take part in the sessions. 

Ben Abbott, LEGO Education lead at Getech Education, said: “We're delighted to partner with Yorkshire Water, a company demonstrably committed to social value, as the first in the water industry to embrace our STEMBrick programmes. “Together, we've developed four engaging LEGO Education programmes that bring the wonders of Yorkshire Water to life for primary school children in a fun and interactive way. These programmes, aligned with Yorkshire Water's social values, encourage 'Hands On Minds On' learning through play, sparking a love for STEM while fostering a deeper understanding of the vital role water plays in our lives. This collaboration exemplifies how innovation can create inspiring learning experiences that benefit both children and the community." 

As well as visits to schools to deliver the blockage lessons, Yorkshire Water’s education team offer a variety of sessions to meet National Curriculum requirements including topics such as the water cycle, how water is collected and treated to be made safe for drinking, the wastewater treatment process, the importance of providing clean drinking water around the world, flooding and sustainable drainage, water safety and a range of habitat-based activities at Tophill Low Nature Reserve. 

The lessons, which are available through school visits to Yorkshire Water sites, virtually or in classroom, can be booked via the education pages of Yorkshire Water’s website. Bookings can be made now for the 2024/25 school year.