OT: wetwipes down the bog

[Bill Wright]

We're constantly nagged to not put wet wipes down the bog. I think the balance of cost and benefit depends on what it's been used for. If it's reasonably clean, yes, put it in the little bin in the bathroom. But what if it's got shit on it? In that case I think it should go down the bog. Benefits: hygienic; no need to put it in a plastic nappy bag; no chance of odours. Cost: it adds to the non-soluble material that has to be fished out at the sewage works. But what's the cost per wetwipe of that? A minute amount I should think.

Giving us all this hassle about wetwipes is just the water companies trying to make out they are heroes.

Bill

[Richard]

Research fatbergs.

[Robin]

It's *not* a minor cost at sewage works:

"...wipes made up around 93% of the material causing the sewer blockages which the study investigated. These wipes ? which included a high proportion of baby wipes - are not designed to be flushed.

...

There are approximately 300,000 sewer blockages every year, costing the country £100 million ? money which could be taken off bills or spent on improving services. Thousands of properties suffer sewer flooding caused by these blockages every year in the UK, creating misery for homeowners and businesses and leading to high clean-up bills and increased insurance costs. Sewer flooding also has a major impact on the environment. The new research shows that most of these type of incidents could be avoided by the wipes being disposed of properly rather than being flushed down toilets."

[Tim Streater]

Presumably wetwipes - like teabags - are made with some amount of plastic (or are they 100% plastic?). Either way, perhaps the time has come to ban plastic in wetwipes.

[Bill Wright]

They need to do their job properly then. If the filters let things like wetwipes though what else gets through?

No, it's disgusting to put shit in the bin.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

I don't need to. I know about them. They are irrelevant to the present discussion.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

That's about 60p per person per annum. A small price to pay even if all sewer blockages are causes by wetwipes, which they aren't, not by a long chalk. Most sewer blockages are caused by falling masonry due to under-investment.

Bill

[tim...]

in lots of countries even shitty bog paper can't go down the pipe and has to be disposed of in your general waste

tim

[Chris Bartram]

Per wipe? minimal. but get a few hundred at one point and you'd easily block a screen. Blocked screens could cause an overflow, which probably isn't an expense in monetary terms but is environmentally bad.

I'd imagine wet wipes could act as a very good binder for fatbergs.

[critcher]

what do you think all these modern day parents do with their kids nappy full of shit.

[Andy Burns]

ISTR on one of the programmes about the new "megasewer" they said they removed 30 tonnes of wetwipes per day at the Becton plant.

[Richard]

If you know about them, you'd know the relevance.

[Robin]

Ahem, it's usual to divide the cost by the population to arrive at a "per person" figure.

[spuorgelgoog]

If they're that indestructable why can't they be rinsed and reused?

Like, oh, nappies and flannels used to be.

Owain

[Richard]

Love yer logic. Just think... ah forget it.

[DerbyBorn]

Tell the Greeks!

[DerbyBorn]

Perhaps time to consider all properties having their own Grease Trap and Wetwipe Screen. Make it the owner's responsibility to clear it out or face a backflow / blockage. With clever design it could be made acceptable and easy.

[Steve Walker]

The sites that I have visited use a motorised screen, basically metal links forming a conveyor belt, with one end in the open channel and the other rising at an angle and depositing whatever is collected into a skip. As the screen continually clears itself this way, it shouldn't block easily.

SteveW

[spuorgelgoog]

Please don't give the SNP ideas.

Owain

[Steve Walker]

They do make flushable wet-wipes, but even they don't break down fast enough and can cause blockages.

Rather than just another ban, there needs to be an effort to produce a more degradeable version.

SteveW