One of the piranhas in question. Severn Trent Water Severn Trent Water

YOU MIGHT THINK twice before attempting to clear a blocked drain after this.

A water authority in England was sent to investigate some unusual smells emanating from sewers in Coventry.

Investigators from Severn Trent Water found that the drains had become blocked due to a local resident flushing a variety of fish down the loo – including piranhas.

“You wouldn’t think a fish of this size would fit down a toilet, but this is just one example of amazing things we find blocking the sewers,” Matt Final and Jay Slater of Severn Trent said.

They noted that other unusual objects had previously been found in the sewers, such as “piles of pants”.

However, this kind of problem is costing the authority the equivalent of €12,000,000 piranh-num*.

“Remember toilet roll is meant to break down when it gets wet so it washes easily through the system,” customer operations manager Sue Fulford said.

“That’s not the case with things like sanitary products, cleansing wipes or in this case large tropical fish which can get stuck in smaller drains.”

Severn Trent are advising customers to “get yourself a bin in the bathroom and use that rather than the toilet” for items such as nappies, wipes, pants, and piranhas.

*We’re really sorry about this pun. Blame this comment.

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