diff --git a/app/s3_client/s3_csv_client.py b/app/s3_client/s3_csv_client.py
index c17e5bed8..4d8f33a07 100644
--- a/app/s3_client/s3_csv_client.py
+++ b/app/s3_client/s3_csv_client.py
@@ -28,12 +28,17 @@ def get_csv_upload(service_id, upload_id):
     return get_s3_object(*get_csv_location(service_id, upload_id))
 
 
-def s3upload(service_id, filedata):
+def remove_blank_lines(filedata):
     # sometimes people upload files with hundreds of blank lines at the end
     data = filedata["data"]
     cleaned_data = "\n".join(line for line in data.splitlines() if line.strip())
     filedata["data"] = cleaned_data
+    return filedata
 
+
+def s3upload(service_id, filedata):
+
+    filedata = remove_blank_lines(filedata)
     upload_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
     bucket_name, file_location, access_key, secret_key, region = get_csv_location(
         service_id, upload_id
diff --git a/tests/app/s3_client/test_s3_csv_client.py b/tests/app/s3_client/test_s3_csv_client.py
index dbf26ea47..2ea3c43db 100644
--- a/tests/app/s3_client/test_s3_csv_client.py
+++ b/tests/app/s3_client/test_s3_csv_client.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from unittest.mock import Mock
 
-from app.s3_client.s3_csv_client import set_metadata_on_csv_upload
+from app.s3_client.s3_csv_client import remove_blank_lines, set_metadata_on_csv_upload
 
 
 def test_sets_metadata(client_request, mocker):
@@ -21,3 +21,11 @@ def test_sets_metadata(client_request, mocker):
         MetadataDirective="REPLACE",
         ServerSideEncryption="AES256",
     )
+
+
+def test_removes_blank_lines():
+    filedata = {
+        "data": "phone number\r\n15555555555\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n"
+    }
+    file_data = remove_blank_lines(filedata)
+    assert file_data == {"data": "phone number\n15555555555"}