A CHILD’S SPIDER-MAN scooter was the cause of a blockage in the sewer network in Cobh, Co Cork last weekend.

Irish Water and Cork County Council’s wastewater team were notified of the blockage in the wastewater network at Marine Gates in Carrignafoy last Friday.

The crews were “unable to clear the tangled blockage” that day, Irish Water said, but cleared it the next morning. 

They discovered that a child’s Spider-Man scooter was “causing the obstruction from a deep manhole downstream”. 

A spokesperson for Irish Water said it was unknown how the scooter entered the sewer system, but that it could have gotten there through a manhole.

The spokesperson said this is one of many “incidents where people discard and dispose of bizarre items”. 

They warned that people shouldn’t go near manholes “because its potentially dangerous and it can lead to thousands of euros worth of damage”. 

The Irish Water wastewater regional lead Pat Britton said incidents like this cause “huge inconvenience”. 

“These types of items can cause significant damage to the network and treatment plants,” Britton said in a statement.

“Between the City and County Council areas last year, we spent over €984,000 in 2020 on jetting and clearing blockages to keep the network flowing. This was largely due to the fact that people discard items negligently.

“Blockages like this can also cause raw sewage to overflow onto footpaths, roads and waterways.”

He said scooters are “unusual” to find in a sewer, but dozens of blockages a month are caused by items like wet wipes, cotton wool buds and nappies. 

“We would appeal to the public to consider how they dispose of their waste and to think before they flush,” Britton said.