Out of sight, out of mind?
Although flushing unsuitable products down the loo or washing cooking fat down the drain may be considered 'out of sight, out of mind' for many, this is clearly not the case for the thousands of people who suffer the misery of sewer flooding each year due to nasty blockages.
As a result, we have launched a new campaign, called 'Bin it - don't block it!' to educate people on what should and shouldn't be washed away down the drain.
In total, we clear around 55,000 blockages from our sewers each year. The majority of these are caused by cooking fats and oils, which congeal in our sewers forming a thick layer around the pipe. This prevents sewage from flowing and can cause it to back-up, especially when other unsuitable products such as wet wipes and sanitary items mix with the fat and set hard forming a solid obstruction.
This section will provide you with useful tips on how to dispose of your products properly, show you the devastating effects that blockages can have on peoples' homes and the environment, and provide you with information on what we're doing to help prevent manufacturers from using misleading labelling that encourages people to flush products that won't break down.
Take part in our survey
Complete this short survey to help us understand what you think is, and isn't, acceptable to flush down your toilet or pour down your drains.
And please be honest - tell us what actually does go down your drains, not what you think we want to hear!
To flush, or not to flush?
The drains connected to your home are only designed to take away wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste. Customer research shows there is confusion about what should and shouldn't be flushed away and this is sometimes made worse by misleading 'flushable' labelling.
Often people think the term 'flushable' means the product will go down the toilet without clogging on its way. However, this does not mean that it will break down once it reaches the sewer and it could end up blocking your internal plumbing or the main sewer, causing sewage to back-up. The only product that should be flushed is toilet paper.
What we're doing to help
Hundreds, if not thousands of unsuitable products are washed down the drain each year contributing to around 55,000 blockages across the Thames region. Manufacturers are continually rolling out newer and more innovative products such as thicker toilet paper and 'biodegradable' sanitary products and toddler wipes, but there are currently no restrictions in place to prevent these products being sold as 'flushable'.
As well as raising awareness of blockages and trying to change public behaviour through the media, company literature and our website, we are currently working with the water industry and trade associations, including EDANA and INDA, to implement long-term solutions. This involves developing the SNAP protocol, which will determine whether or not an individual product is flushable in terms of sewer disposal.
What you can do to help
Here are five top tips to keep your drains flowing.
Love your loo: Make sure that only wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste goes down your drains and into the sewer.
Bin it - don't block it: Wrap up sanitary products, nappies, wet wipes and condoms and put them in the bin.
Think - not in the sink! After cooking, fat, oil and grease should be left to cool- it can then be disposed of in the bin or mixed with seeds and nuts to make a feeder for birds.
Chemicals, solvents, engine oil and paint should be taken to your local refuse site.
Medicines, tablets, syringes and needles should be taken to your pharmacist, local hospital or health authority for safe disposal.
