Kiwis have been urged to not flush wet wipes down the toilet, now Countdown are reminding customers by putting new signage in stores.
A massive increase in their use amid the coronavirus lockdown is leading to major blockages in our waste water systems.
Last month 1 NEWS was shown huge mounds of used sanitizing wipes once they had been pulled by hand from screening machinery at the Pukekohe Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Wet wipes flushed down toilets are causing pumping stations to break down weekly when normally they have problems only once or twice a year.
Countdown wants to help people dispose of them safely, according to a statement from Countdown.
"We appreciate that customers are particularly keen to keep surfaces in their homes clean and safe at the moment, but we just want to make sure people are putting them in the bin rather than the toilet when they have been used.
“Wipes don't just cause problems at wastewater plants - they can also damage your pipes at home and can be incredibly expensive to repair. The most cost effective solution for everyone is to dispose of them correctly. Our message is simple: Please don’t flush wipes," said Countdown’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Safety and Sustainability Kiri Hannifin in a statement.
They might kill germs, but when flushed wet wipes wreak havoc on the sewage system.
The new signage will be visible in aisles where the wet wipes are.
There has been a significant increase across the country in dry weather sewage overflows, said Water New Zealand Technical Manager Noel Roberts in a statement.
“We need to make it clear that only the 3-p’s – pee, poo and paper should go down the toilet. Everything else needs to go in the bin," said Mr Roberts.
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