Only paper pee and poo down the loo

Have you ever stopped for a minute to appreciate your toilet?

As part of World Toilet Day today Water Corporation wants you to ‘love your loo’ and give some thought about where your wastewater goes once the toilet is flushed.

Water Corporation South West Regional Manager John Janssen said in some parts of the South West, crews are constantly removing blockages in the wastewater system.

“Some people are flushing wipes, nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds, dental floss and other things that don’t break down in the system,” Mr Janssen said.

“We’ve even found items like beach towels, plastic toys and golf balls.

“Unfortunately for some people it is a case of out of sight, out of mind but once something disappears down the toilet, it has to go somewhere and the pipes can eventually get blocked.

“Not flushing these things down the toilet will not only help protect the environment and the wastewater system, but also potentially save you money from having to call a plumber to fix any internal blockages.”

Mr Janssen said it was also important not to pour fat, oil or grease straight down the kitchen sink as once cooled it can solidify and cause blockages.

“Pour fat and grease into a container and dispose of it in the bin instead, and food scraps also belong in the bin, not down the sink,” Mr Janssen said.

Fact file:

• World Toilet Day is an initiative of the United Nations and is part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for sanitation and water, to ensure that everyone has a safe toilet by 2030.
• Around the world there are around 892 million people who don’t have regular access to a toilet and 4.5 billion people who don’t have a safe toilet- one that works properly and isn’t harmful to the environment. 
• Wastewater is 99.7 per cent water as it comes mostly from showers, sinks and washing machines.