EPA urges people to think before they flush

ENVIRONMENT Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is urging Victorians to “think before they flush”.
Toilet paper has been hard to get in supermarkets as a result of increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic, and the EPA has concerns the use of products such as wet wipes, tissues or paper towels as alternatives could put pressure on the state’s sewers and domestic wastewater systems.
People should only flush the three P’s down the toilet – Pee, Poo and toilet Paper.
If Victorians don’t have toilet paper to use, then the alternatives should be disposed of in the main household waste bin.
Sewers are not designed to handle wet wipes, tissues and paper towels. They clump together forming thick mounds called “fatbergs”, which cause blockages or damage to infrastructure. This leads to sewer spills that affect the environment and can create a public health issue.
EPA deputy chief environmental scientist Dr Dan Evans said wet wipes might be marked as “flushable” but that did not guarantee they would biodegrade and not cause pollution to the environment.
“Sewer spills of wet wipes, litter, paper towels and tissues can get caught up in vegetation in drains and cause water quality issues.
“An increase in water pollution can be potentially harmful to animals, birds, fish and other aquatic life, as well as causing
odour.”
Barwon Water recently ran a campaign, “Don’t Flush It!”, promoting a similar message.
Members of the public can report all types of pollution by phoning the EPA 24-hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842).