Bath-based Wessex is Water is getting behind Unblocktober to encourage customers across the city to only flush the three Ps – paper, poo and pee.
Unblocktober is a national campaign and awareness month which aims to improve the health of drains, sewers, watercourses and seas.
The campaign asks people across the UK to pledge to change their kitchen and bathroom habits to help the environment.
Wessex Water, the water and sewerage company, recently pulled 20kg of wet wipes from one of its sewers after it caused a blockage, resulting in crews having to come out and clear it.
Wessex Water’s Dave West, whose team regularly deals with blockages, said: “We always ask our customers to dispose of wet wipes correctly, which means putting them in the bin and not down the toilet.
“Most wet wipes contain plastic and don’t break down like regular toilet paper when flushed, causing obstructions that can lead to sewage entering homes and watercourses.
“We’re getting behind Unblocktober this year to get the message out there about what should and shouldn’t be put down the toilet.”
Wessex Water clears around 13,000 blockages on its network every year at a cost of £5 million, with wet wipes contributing to the vast majority of them.
Even wipes marketed as ‘flushable’ often don’t pass the water industry’s strict Fine to Flush standards, so the company is advising anyone unsure about what to flush to stick to the three Ps.
