Speaking about the survey results Neil O’Riordan, 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.
“Removing blockages can be a nasty job, sometimes workers have to enter sewers to remove blockages with shovels. Some blockages can be removed with jetting and suction equipment. I’ve seen pump blockages that workers have had to literally clear by hand in order to get the pumps up and running again in a race against time to avoid sewage overflows to the environment.
“Our message is simple, only the 3 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.
“We have all seen the images of sea birds being impacted by marine litter and we all have a role to play in protecting our beaches, seas and marine life. A small change in our flushing behaviour can make a big difference – put wipes, cotton bud sticks and sanitary items in the bin and not down the toilet.”
Speaking about the size and scale of the challenge, Niall added: “Cork is a big 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 County Cork every year.”
Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts said: “The Think Before You Flush campaign, through education and awareness, aims to prevent items like wipes, cotton bud sticks and sanitary items washing up on Ireland’s spectacular beaches.
“While we have seen a positive improvement in the nations flushing behaviour since 2018, one in four adults still admit to regularly flushing unsuitable items down the toilet. By making small changes in our flushing behaviour, we can prevent the harm caused by sewage related litter in our marine environment. We are asking everybody to only flush the 3 P’s – pee, poo and paper, and put everything else in the bin.”
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
