There are concerns about clogged arteries as we roll into the silly season, but we’re not talking about health issues from Christmas holiday overindulgence.
We are talking about the arteries which are the pipes in our wastewater network that carry bodily by-products to our sewage treatment plants.
At this time of year, we tend to see an increase in blockages caused by that classic product of convenience, wet wipes.
You may think that tossing one or two wipes into the toilet can’t hurt, but unlike toilet paper, which is designed to disintegrate, the majority of wet wipes do not break up quickly, if at all. Liberally coated in either fragrance or cleaning agents, they are designed to be tough, many made up of large proportions of plastic, and that’s where the problem lies.
Our wastewater systems have numerous pumps, filters, and grates to enable the delivery of wastewater through the pipe network to the treatment stations. Unfortunately, wipes are not wastewater, and they cause issues throughout the system.
It’s a major inconvenience, costing all ratepayers money every time we have to lift a pump to clear it of wipes.
Only a handful of brands meet the accepted flushable standard, so if you’re unsure if they meet the standard or not, the safest option is to put them in the rubbish bin.
The price of some people’s thoughtlessness is shared by everyone. So please, please, please only flush the ‘three Ps’: pee, poo, and paper!