Large-scale sewer clogging and clogging of wet wipes cost sewage suppliers in southeast Queensland approximately US$1 million each year.
By the middle of 2022, wet wipes, paper towels, tampons and even cat litter can carry a certified “washable” mark to let consumers know that the product meets national standards.
Colin Hester, head of environmental solutions at Urban Utilities, said that although many products are labeled “flushable”, this does not mean they should flush into the toilet.
“We deal with about 4,000 blockages in the sewage pipe network each year, and we spend an additional $1 million in maintenance costs each year,” said Mr. Hester.
He said that there is nothing to stop the product from advertising that it is flushable because there is no agreement on the standard.
He said: “At present, there is no national agreement among manufacturers, retailers and utility companies on what is equivalent to flushability.”
“With the emergence of flushability standards, this situation has changed, and it is an agreed position between the parties.”
Mr. Hester said that the difference between wet wipes and paper towels and toilet paper is that their products are generally harder and more durable.
“This strength is achieved by adding an adhesive or a layer harder than ordinary toilet paper to the material,” he said.
According to Urban Utilities, 120 tons of wet wipes (equivalent to the weight of 34 hippos) are removed from the network every year.
In many cases, wet wipes can cause clogging or “cellulite”-a large amount of condensed oil, fat, and products such as paper towels and wet wipes stick together.
The largest fat mountain ever recorded on the Urban Utilities network was removed from Bowen Hills in 2019. It is 7.5 meters long and half a meter wide.
Mr. Hyster stated that the manufacturer’s self-discipline allows certain products to be advertised as “flushable” when they may not be effectively decomposed in the system.
“Some wipes contain plastic, and even if the wipes decompose, the plastic may eventually enter the biosolids or enter the receiving water,” he said.
Urban Utilities spokesperson Anna Hartley said that the draft national standard currently in the public consultation stage is a “game changer” in the “costly war against clogging of wet wipes.”
“The flushability standard does not only apply to wet wipes; it also applies to a range of other disposable products, including paper towels, baby wipes and even cat litter,” Ms Hartley said.
“This will convince consumers that when they see the new’washable’ label on the product, the product has passed strict test standards, meets the new national standard, and will not damage our sewer network.”
Ms. Hartley said that although the standard is being developed, it is still important for consumers to remember to flush only the “three Ps-pee, poop and paper.”
“Consumers are now kept in the dark without national standards, which means that shoppers will be able to make easier choices and do the right things,” she said.
Mr. Hester said that when developing the standard, the researchers ran many different products that could be flushed into the toilet through the long-term test sewer of the Organization Innovation Center at the Baggage Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
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To enable manufacturers to test, the test sewage treatment system was scaled down and modeled as a desktop mechanical device that moved a “swaying” box filled with water back and forth to see how the product broke down.
Mr. Hester said that the development of national standards is challenging because it means cooperation between manufacturers, utility companies and the Australian Bureau of Standards.
He said: “This is the first time in the world that utility companies and manufacturers have worked together to define clear and mutually acceptable pass/fail criteria, specifying which should and should not be flushed.”
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Post time: Sep-09-2021