To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Think Before You Flush campaign is launching a nationwide competition for primary school pupils aged 8 to 10. In anticipation of Hallowe’en, the campaign is challenging pupils to create something truly frightening.
Fatbergs are large blockages that form in sewers when inappropriate items are flushed down our toilets. They can block sewage pipes, cause dirty water to overflow and harm rivers, the sea and wildlife.
Sewage workers have described fatbergs as “monsters from the deep.” The largest fatberg ever was found in a sewer in Whitechapel, London nearly ten years ago. This enormous blockage was 250 metres long and weighed an estimated 130 tonnes. To put that into perspective, the Whitechapel fatberg was as long as two football pitches and as heavy as eleven double decker buses! It took sewage workers over two months to remove.
CREATIVE LICENCE
Think Before You Flush is inviting primary pupils to create their own model fatbergs using clean craft, recycled materials or whatever takes their fancy. The fatbergs can take the form of a character or whatever the pupils envision. Creative licence is strongly encouraged!
Pupils may enter as a class and multiple classes may enter from a single school if they wish to.
Cash prizes will be awarded, with first place set to receive €1,000. Alongside this, the winning school will receive a special celebratory visit from the Clean Coasts team on World Toilet Day, Thursday, 19th November. This fun event will invite the winning pupils to take part in games, celebrations and media opportunities.
‘THINK BEFORE YOU FLUSH’
Uisce Éireann’s Head of Wastewater Operations, Nuala Woods, is encouraging all schools to take part.
“By learning what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, students can help protect our rivers, beaches and local communities. Items such as wet wipes and cotton buds do not break down in the wastewater system and can cause blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants and can lead to sewage overflows impacting some of our most beautiful coastal and river locations”.
Nuala continued, “We remove around 10,000 blockages from our network every year, so we need everyone’s help to spread the message: Think Before You Flush”.
THE 3 P’S
The Think Before You Flush campaign is operated by Clean Coasts, An Taisce in partnership with Uisce Éireann. It emphasises the importance of appropriate flushing behaviour and disposal of items including wipes and other sanitary products in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable. Only the 3 Ps, pee, poo and (toilet) paper, should be flushed down the toilet. Everything else goes in the bin.
For full details of the competition, to view the Schools Information Pack or sign your class up, please visit thinkbeforeyouflush.org. If you have questions about the competition, please email the Think Before You Flush team at tbyf@antaisce.org, who will be delighted to advise.
