What's the impact of flushing the wrong things?
Sewers and treatment works are built to deal with human waste and water, yet every year in the UK we flush away two billion items that shouldn’t go down the loo.
80% of blockages are caused by items that shouldn't be flushed or tipped down the drain. This includes flushing wet wipes and cotton buds, or pouring fat, oil and grease down the sink.
In total, fats, oils, greases and other non-biodegradable items cause more than 300,000 sewer blockages a year in the UK.
Some of the stranger items that have been found in the sewers have included, toys, false teeth, mobile phones and even giant orange sewer monsters.
These blockages can lead to homes being flooded and waterways becoming polluted. We need your help in preventing these blockages.
The three Ps
One of the easiest ways to help avoid these blockages is to remember the three Ps – pee, poo and paper.
These are the only things that you should flush down the toilet. Toilet paper decomposes naturally and can be flushed away safely.
For everything else – Bag it and Bin it.
Wet wipes are one of the biggest causes of blockages in sewers and wastewater treatment works. Even wipes described as “flushable” cause blockages and the biodegradable ones often don’t spend long enough in the sewer to start to decompose.
All other non-biodegradable items, such as nappies, sanitary products, and cotton wool, must go in the bin. You can use nappy sacks to avoid unwanted smells.
