By Dan Walsh
The Think Before You Flush campaign is aiming to curtail the problematic practice of regularly flushing unsuitable items down the toilet and the message is clear; “We are asking everybody to only flush the three P’s – pee, poo and paper – and put everything else in the bin.”
Irish Water and Clean Coasts are urging the people of Wexford to continue to Think Before You Flush as a recent survey has revealed that almost a million adults living in Ireland regularly flush wet wipes and other sanitary items down the toilet.
With sea swimming and use of our beaches becoming more popular, it’s a timely reminder that our flushing behaviour has a direct impact on the environment and that making small changes can help protect Ireland’s sandy beaches, rocky shores and secluded bays.Speaking about the survey results Georgina O’Reilly, Irish Water said; “In 2018, our research informed us that 36% of people living in Ireland were regularly flushing the wrong things down the toilet. Working in partnership with Clean Coasts on the Think Before You Flush campaign we have made some progress as 24% of respondents in this year’s survey admit to regularly doing so. Whilst this improvement is welcome, 24% represents almost a million people. The impacts of flushing the wrong things down the toilet are stark, as we are still removing thousands of sewer blockages from our network every month.
“Our message is simple, only the three Ps, – pee, poo and paper – should be flushed down the toilet. All other items including wet wipes and other sanitary products should go in the bin even if they are labelled as flushable. This will reduce the number of sewer blockages, the risk of flooding to homes and businesses and the risk of pollution in the environment harming wildlife such as fish and birds and associated habitats.”
Ms O’Reilly added; “Wexford is such a beautiful county and has a significant number of vistors every year. Tonnes of wipes and ragging is removed annually from pumps and Wastewater Treatment Plants’ and this is foul material that needs to be disposed of. In addition to that we also clear hundreds of blockages across the wastewater network in Co. Wexford every year.”
To find out more about the Think Before You Flush campaign please visit http://thinkbeforeyouflush.org and for tips and information on how to avoid blocked drains please visit www.water.ie/thinkbeforeyouflush
WexfordLocal.com 