United Utilities has apologised for the incident in Manchester
06:41, 25 Mar 2026Updated 07:52, 25 Mar 2026
The sewage on Metcombe Way
A disgusted resident says they have had to dodge human faeces and toilet paper after a burst pipe leaked sewage onto their street. The pavement on Metcombe Way, in Manchester, was blighted by a huge puddle of toilet waste and poo for almost a week, according to the neighbour.
The resident says they reported the issue to different agencies but was referred ‘back and forth’ between them, with neither refusing to take responsibility for the clean up.
Speaking to the M.E.N., the concerned resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It’s a residential street, loads of kids use the road to go and from school, there’s a park near us, we’ve got to walk in the road to get around the pavement.
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“I’ve not gotten close enough to smell it, but I’m sure when it gets to hot weather it’s going to be worse. Flies are already on it. It’s not nice or pleasant to look at.”
The M.E.N understands that a contractor was hired to survey the mess but did not inform United Utilities that the sewage was on the water supply company’s network. After being contacted by the M.E.N., United Utilities has apologised for the issue and cleared the street on Monday (March 23).
A United Utilities spokesperson, said: “Our teams responded to reports of a blocked sewer once we’d been notified of the issue. The blockage has been removed and the area has been cleaned. We’d like to apologise to the residents for the issue.”
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a burst pipe on private land in Manchester, which led to the unfortunate expulsion of waste from the private land on to the highway.
“United Utilities were able to clear up the waste. Our team was also on site to investigate the matter. We want to urge anyone who sees any concerns of this nature to report them directly through our Contact Centre or via our online reporting services.”