Just because you can flush it, doesn’t mean you should…

The Unflushables – Toilet from Southern Water on Vimeo.

We’ve all done it – flushed a wet wipe, a cotton bud or some other piece of bathroom waste down the loo. It disappears out of sight and we never have to think about it again. But these items are blocking our sewerage system, threatening our homes with flooding, polluting our rivers and beaches, and costing us millions of pounds to clear up.

In the UK we flush away a staggering two billion items that shouldn’t go down the loo every year! In just 6 months during 2014, Southern Water removed 6,000 tons of wet wipes and other items from our local sewers!

We have teamed up with Southern Water, who are sponsors of Our Stour, to spread the word about what to flush and what not to flush, by getting on board with their ‘The Unflushables’ campaign.

The message is simple…

What to flush

Only the three Ps – Pee, Poo and Paper. AND NOTHING ELSE!

Toilet paper is made to dissolve on contact with water and by the time it reaches the sewerage system it has already broken down to the point it won’t cause a problem.

What not to flush

• Wet wipes – not even the ones sold as ‘flushable’ or ‘biodegradable’  – they can still cause blockages.
• Tampons and sanitary towels
• Disposable nappies
• Condoms
• Cotton buds
• Dental floss
• Packaging
• Anything that isn’t pee, poo or toilet paper

Dispose of these items in a household bin.

The Unflushables

Find more videos, tips, stats and information on Southern Water’s The Unflushables webpages.

But there’s more…

The Unflushables are not the only problem – many blockages are also caused by cooking oil and fat. Find out how to dispose of them responsibly here. And find out how to check that your waste water is not ending up in a river here.