Unflushable waste

Preventing sewer pipe blockages

On average, we remove 150 tonnes of waste from our sewer pipes across our district every year. That’s the equivalent of one bus every month!

We should flush only human waste (poos and wees) and toilet paper. Everything else should go into a rubbish bin.

By being careful about what is flushed away, you can help reduce blockages and overflows that end up in our beautiful lake.

What causes the blockages?

Inappropriate material entering the sewer system contributes to 90 per cent of sewer pipe overflows. These items range from wet-wipes, sanitary items, to underwear, clothing, fabric rags, paper towels, plastic bags, money, toys, tools, building materials (rubble and dirt) and rope.

Fat and grease disposed of in the sink solidifies and builds up on the side of the sewers until the whole pipe is blocked (just like in our body’s arteries).

What not to flush:

• Disposable nappies.
• Tampons and mini or maxi pads.
• Cotton balls and swabs.
• Unused medications. (Return them to your local pharmacy.)
• Condoms.
• 'Flushable' wet-wipes.
• Facial tissues.
• Bandages and bandage wrappings.
• Food and food grease.

While these may get flushed out of sight, they can build up in the pipes and cause a blockage.

What you can do:

• Scrape food scraps into the compost bin.
• Pour fat and grease into a can, let it harden and throw in the rubbish.
• Don’t flush anything other than poos, wees and toilet paper – wrap everything else and place in the rubbish.