Wet Wipes and Plumbing Problems
We like to compare great inventions by saying ‘best thing since sliced bread.’ Antibacterial wipes, or wet wipes as we call them in Australia, are up there in high favouritism for parents with babies. They have gained in popularity with all ages so they are no longer exclusive to parents with toddlers. The problem now, for plumbers in particular, is that they are used as an alternative to toilet paper. Some of these products are being marketed (incorrectly) as being flushable and as a result are causing some major problems with wastewater systems.
The fact that they are not suitable to be disposed of in our toilet systems has been backed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Regardless of the bad press they are receiving from plumbing services and councils, there is still one in four people in the metro area flushing these wet wipes down the toilet. Sewer blockages in cities are because of the wet wipes.
There are a few reasons why you should not flush wet wipes down the toilet:
They present a significant environmental hazard.
- Blockages, Problems, Costs
- Number 1 for Blockages
- Environmental Hazard