Why it’s important NOT to flush wipes
The label on some products may say ‘flushable’ but disposable wipes and other products clog sewer pipes and damage pumps and wastewater systems. These types of issues are expensive to fix and can cause raw sewage overflows into homes, businesses and local waterways.
Put rubbish in the bin, not in the toilet bowl.
- Only flush things wastewater systems are designed for: poo, pee and toilet paper
- Flushed wet wipes can block pipes leading to sewage overflows into homes and costly plumbing and cleaning bills.
- When wipes are flushed they don’t break up in the same way that toilet paper does, and get snagged on pipes and pumps, or at wastewater treatment plants.
- Flushing wipes is a problem for the environment as it causes sewage blockages which overflow to rivers and streams.
- Cleaning blockages causes unnecessary costs to individual householders as well as ratepayers.
- Other commonly flushed products (that shouldn’t be) include tissues, fats oils & grease, paper hand towels, sanitary pads and tampons.
- Everything we flush finds its way into a wastewater treatment plant and then to oceans, rivers or on to the land.