Power and Water urge Territorians not to flush wipes down the pipes
POWER and Water is warning Territorians who have struggled to buy toilet paper about the dangers of flushing wet wipes or tissues down the loo.
Northern Territory
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POWER and Water is warning Territorians who have struggled to buy toilet paper about the dangers of flushing wet wipes or tissues down the loo.
They say it can result in sewerage overflows and get in the way of the utility providing vital services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The coronavirus crisis has resulted in supermarkets struggling to keep toilet paper on the shelves, meaning people have been forced to turn to other alternatives.
But Power and Water services executive general manager for water Steven Porter has urged people not to flush them – even if they are labelled “flushable”.
“Only toilet paper is designed to break down effectively. Other products are designed with a stronger weave, and if flushed, can cause a sewer blockage or ‘fatberg’ in our network,” he said.
“It is possible these blockages may end up pushing things back up toilets, which will be a very unpleasant and costly experience for households.
“If people have no choice but to use toilet paper alternatives, please dispose of these items in a plastic-lined lidded bin in your bathrooms. You should then empty this into your outdoor bin regularly.”
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Mr Porter said these blockages could prevent Power and Water from doing more important work.
“Power and Water is an essential services provider, and in these uncertain times our mission is to keep drinking water safe, maintain sewerage services and keep the power on,” he said.
“Any remedial work that can be avoided by our customers doing the right thing and only flushing the three Ps would be of great help to us.”
Senior manager in asset management Skefos Tsoukalis said 1.25 tonnes of these items had been removed from the system at the Power and Water Leanyer water treatment plant alone.
“We have noticed an increase in the amount of gross pollutants (that’s wipes and rubbish that’s flushed including nappies and sanitary items),” he said.
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