No Wipes Down the Pipes

The convenience of using wet wipes is becoming increasingly popular. These include all types of wipes such as baby wipes, hand wipes, car cleaning wipes and, in recent years, adult wipes.

This convenience however is coming at a cost to our wastewater systems. In September 2015, a single wet wipe blocked the pump in Rangataua Pump Station. It took four hours to clear!

Items of rubbish such as wet wipes, cloths and rags are being found in our sewer system. Many of these are labelled as 'flushable', but while they may clear the toilet, they cause problems downstream. Unlike toilet paper, which is usually made from short, natural fibres, many wet wipes are made from long synthetic fibres which are highly bonded and entangled. They do not break up (this is shown in the figure below), but instead cause pipe blockages and damage to pumps. This means time and money are wasted on repairs. In the worst cases a blockage results in wastewater overflows to our streets and streams.