New Year, New Pipes
30 December 2024 10:02
The New Year is fast approaching and NI Water is asking customers to make a new year’s resolution to remember not to block drains and to keep sewers clear.
NI Water’s message is it’s not too late to clean up your pipes and keep them lean, even if they had a little extra over the festive holidays.
The advice is to Bag and Bin any fat, oils or grease and only flush the 3 P’s - Pee, Poo and Paper to avoid any blockage of pipes throughout the year.
There are lots of handy tips to avoid blocking your pipes with items which should be disposed of in the bin and not down the sink or toilet. Below are some examples:
- Sanitary waste - towels, tampons, applicators, panty liners, backing strips
- Disposable nappies, liners and baby wipes
- All wipes ie baby, bathroom, toilet and cleaning
- Incontinence pads
- Condoms and femidoms
- Colostomy bags
- Bandages and plasters
- Cotton buds, cotton wool
- Contact lenses
- Toothbrushes
- Place razors and razor blades in a rigid container in the bin
- Take syringes and needles to a needle bank
- Return medicines and contraceptives to your local pharmacy
- When the label says 'disposable', it does not always mean it can be flushed down the toilet
NI Water Education Officer Anna Killen said: “As FOG cools, it solidifies; this can then create blockages in the sewerage system, which often results in raw sewage flooding gardens and homes. The impact of this can be devastating for you and your neighbours.
“Flushing inappropriate items causes damage not only to your own pipes, but can block the public sewers, personal items can damage the screens which normally filter out the waste at wastewater treatment works. Flushed personal items reduce the system's efficiency so the items can escape through these damaged screens and pollute rivers and beaches causing a health risk to humans and wildlife.”
For more information visit: https://www.niwater.com/bag-it-and-bin-it/
ENDS
Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com