Barwon Water to educate Eastern Beach visitors on toilet etiquette

Following a smelly episode over summer, one of Geelong’s largest organisations is taking a proactive approach in educating people of all ages that they must only flush the three Ps: poo, pee and (toilet) paper.

Geelong council crews clean up after the sewerage system failed at Eastern Beach over the New Year’s long weekend.

Toilet training is normally reserved for the youngest members of our community, but all visitors to Geelong’s Eastern Beach will be greeted by a pop-up shop informing them of what not to pop-down the loo.

Barwon Water will host the information sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm this Friday and Saturday as part of a campaign to stop people flushing wet wipes down public toilets.

Visitors to Geelong’s waterfront were forced to battle more than strong winds over the New Year holiday period. Source: Evelyn Newman/ Facebook

The move comes after Geelong council was forced to close facilities at Eastern Beach and Cunningham Pier over the busy New Year holiday period after the sewerage system failed due to a large number of wipes being flushed down toilets.

Council crews were forced to clear a metre-long blockage from the system.

In a far from ideal advertisement for Geelong, images posted to social media at the time showed sewage flowing from the Eastern Beach concourse while people played nearby.

Barwon Water chief scientist Will Buchanan said wipes should never be flushed as they don’t break down like toilet paper.

“When people flush wet wipes it causes blockages that can lead to sewage spilling into streets and people’s properties,” he said.

“Blockages are expensive and time consuming to fix, not to mention very unpleasant for everyone.”

Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan issued a similar message.

“We’re installing new signage in our public toilets to remind people that only toilet paper should be flushed,” he said.

“It’s up to all of us to do the right thing – help us look after our public spaces and dispose of wipes in the bins provided.”

Up to 10,000 people a day descend on Eastern Beach during peak summer periods.

Originally published as Barwon Water to educate Eastern Beach visitors on toilet etiquette