By JESSE GRAHAM
YARRA Valley Water has asked residents to reconsider what they flush down the toilet, in attempt to address an elephant in the room – literally.
Wet wipes and similar “flushable” wipes have been causing headaches at Yarra Valley Water for years, according to Managing Director Pat McCafferty.
In the Yarra Valley and Dandenongs alone, four tonnes of wet wipes are removed from the sewerage network every fortnight – roughly the weight of the African elephant, the world’s largest land animal.
The problem is, though wipes are labelled and marketed as “flushable”, they don’t degrade like toilet paper, and very easily cause blockages through the sewer network.
The result can range from blockages that cost up to $1000 to remove and damage to pipes, through to sewage spills back onto properties.
“If you have tree root intrusion into sewer pipes, quite often, you won’t have a problem with flows,” Mr McCafferty said.
“But if anything is going down the toilet, like a wet wipe, that can wrap around the tree root, you get a blockage and sewage backing up into your house – nobody wants to experience a sewage spill in their property or in their house.”
Mr McCafferty said that toilet paper generally broke down within 30 seconds once it was in the sewer system, but wet wipes were far more durable.
The issue has gained worldwide attention, and Mr McCafferty said there might be light at the end of the tunnel, with the water industry and wet wipes industry representatives collaborating on a solution.
At the crux of the issue is what is defined as “flushable”.
“You can put anything down, but whether it’s going to degrade the way you want it is different,” Mr McCafferty said.
“Sewerage treatment plants are designed to treat wastewater to a quality and a degree where it’s safe to release back into the environment.
“Anything can be put down there, but then it becomes someone else’s problem, and it’s the community that pays.”
Though YVW has invested in a machine to process wet wipes, Mr McCafferty said the root problem needed to be addressed, and his advice was simple – just put them in the bin.
YVW’s website contains a list of items not to be flushed down the toilet or poured down the drain.
The list includes plastics, motor oil, food scraps, cotton buds, nappies, condoms, sanitary products, oils, wrappers and medicines.
For more information, visit www.yvw.com.au.
