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Image of the scooter found in a sewer in Cork. Irish Water

Spider-Man scooter causes sewer blockage in Cork

The blockage was reported to officials last weekend.

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. 

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19 Comments
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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John O Neill
    Favourite John O Neill
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:09 PM

    It took another superhero to clear it up !!!

    180
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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:15 PM

    @John O Neill: sewer mage?

    17
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    Mute Adrian O'Donnell
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 6:22 PM

    @John O Neill: the blob

    10
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    Mute JillyBean
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:26 PM

    The pandemic brought us to lows nobody could have ever imagined. Articles published at prime time about sewage blocks

    73
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    Mute Eugene Norman
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 7:42 PM

    @JillyBean: Internet prime time? Is that a thing.

    36
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    Mute Conor Mc Lysaght
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 6:08 PM

    Maybe someone shat out the Spider-Man scooter?

    70
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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:32 PM

    Cr@p story.

    36
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    Mute Seamus Ó Conchúir
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 6:25 PM

    The journal editor” get me pictures of Spiderman’s scooter”

    30
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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:15 PM

    Quiet news day?

    26
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    Mute Kieran
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:37 PM

    Spider man spider man does the best a spider can….

    21
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    Mute Mr Snrub
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 7:36 PM

    @Kieran: Good one.

    5
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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 6:22 PM

    There’s always a question about whether Spiderman does more harm than good. I think this seals it.

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 7:59 PM

    Donedeal tomorrow.

    13
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    Mute Joe Kennedy
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 6:00 PM

    “My spider sense is tingling, someone must be in trouble at old sewer….oh lord the smell….I’m outta here!!”

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    Mute Paul Horgan
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    Feb 3rd 2021, 5:48 PM

    Cowabunga !!!!

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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    Feb 4th 2021, 12:58 AM

    Manholes ?
    Shouldn’t that be ‘Peopleholes’ now ! :)

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    Mute brian moriarty
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    Feb 4th 2021, 9:17 AM

    Big news !

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    Mute brian moriarty
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    Feb 4th 2021, 9:25 AM

    Big news

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Feb 5th 2021, 8:30 AM

    Web of suspicion about this story….

    1
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