Lanes saves the big day as blockage threatens wedding reception

It was not so much ‘I do’ as ‘We can’.

Lanes Group drainage engineers, working for Thames Water, have been praised for preventing a happy couple’s wedding turning from the best day to the worst day of their lives.

They were called to the Bexley Heath Conservative Club to clear a sewer blockage just minutes before the bride and groom and 150 guests were about to arrive.

The blockage meant the club’s toilets and dishwasher could not be used.

Conservative Club Vice President David Jefferies, said: “The drainage engineers did a very good job. If they hadn’t cleared the blockage the reception would have had to be cancelled. It would have been a disaster.

“But they arrived quickly and cleared the blockage quickly as well, so the bride and groom and their guests were not inconvenienced at all.”

The drain unblocking emergency unfolded at the club in Broadway, Bexley Heath, South East London, on Saturday afternoon (April 9).

As the club realised it had a problem, and tried to clear the blockage, a member of the wedding party suggested a call should be put in to Thames Water to get urgent professional assistance.

As soon as the call was made, Thames Water’s wastewater network team alerted Lanes Group, the water company’s wastewater maintenance partner, making it the response a ‘priority one’ task.

Blockage Engineer Mark Gilbert, supported by Technical Specialist Shane Crittenden, arrived at the scene within 30 minutes.

Shane said: “We quickly located a fat and grease blockage in a sewer pipe that the club shares with neighbouring businesses, and within about 20 minutes had jetted it clear.

“Because we had the right expertise and equipment, it was a relatively simple blockage for us to deal with, but it was close to causing sewage flooding inside the club.

“We were very pleased to have been able to help both the Thames Water customer and the wedding party. The bride and groom could go on and enjoy their big day as if nothing had happened.

“This is a perfect example of why it’s so important not to pour fat down the sink or drain. Our message is to ‘Bin it – don’t block it’.”

David Jefferies said: “This is the first drain blockage problem we’ve had for a number of years. We have a system in place to dispose of all our fats and grease responsibly, so we’re confident the blockage was not caused by us.

“We’re very grateful to Thames Water and Lanes Group for their swift response, which very much saved the day.”