Fatburgs: the Problem with Wet Wipes
Baby wipes, toilet wipes, wet wipes, make-up wipes, moist wipes, cleaning wipes: whatever the application, wipes are wipes.
Wet wipes will flush – in that they will disappear down the U-bend of your toilet. The problem is what happens to them next……..
In the UK alone, water companies spend approximately £88 million of their customer’s money clearing something like 360,000 blockages that occur annually in the sewerage network. It is estimated that perhaps up to 80% of these blockages are avoidable and are caused by the incorrect disposal of wet wipes and other hygiene products via the toilet.
So – are wet wipes flushable, or not – even when they say they are?
The short sharp answer is: NO. The longer answer is: DEFINITELY NOT.
Despite what the manufacturers say, even when a wet-wipe package claims its contents are flushable, biodegradable or compostable – they won’t and don’t degrade quickly enough to avoid being a menace down our drains and in our waterways – and they are now becoming a major issue for Falcon’s drains and toilets!
As a result, if you report a blocked toilet or drain and we find the cause of the blockage is that wet wipes or similar products have been disposed of down your toilet, you will be charged for the call out and any work necessary to clear the blockage. This may be in excess of £200.00.
We would therefore strongly advise you to ensure all members of your household and visitors are aware of the problems caused by the inappropriate disposal of these items and