These items include wet wipes, paper towels and facial tissues, which customers have been using as alternatives amid the toilet paper shortage.
Sydney Water said that customers needed to be reminded these products don’t break down within the sewerage systems – even if they are labelled as “flushable” – and estimates 75 per cent of blockages involve wet wipes marketed as such.
“The build-up of wet wipes, facial tissues and paper towels along with fats, oil and grease which people pour down the drain can cause blockages and what we call fatbergs which can result in overflows into local waterways and homes,” said Sydney Water Customer Hub Manager Darren Cash.
If residents need to use an alternative to toilet paper in the current climate, these should be placed in a bin rather than being flushed.
For more information visit the Sydney Water website.
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