Wet wipes the most common cause of sewer blockages, says Yorkshire Water
45% of the blockages in its sewer network in 2021 were caused by wet wipes
Wet wipes were the most common cause of blockages in Yorkshire Water’s sewer network in 2021.
Blockages linked to wet wipes made up 11,996 blockages of the 26,790 (45%) Yorkshire Water removed from its network in the 12-month period.
Many wet wipes contain plastic and do not break down in the sewer – unlike toilet paper – meaning they can become snagged and stick together to block the flow of sewage through the network.
'We are urging people who use wipes to put them in the bin once used'
Mark Hammond, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said:
“A considerable proportion of blockages our teams dealt with in 2021 were caused by wet wipes being flushed into the network.
“Many baby wipes, make-up wipes and cleaning wipes contain plastic and do not breakdown in the sewer network like toilet paper. We spend millions of pounds every year resolving blockages caused by wet wipes and the incorrect disposal of items down toilets and sinks, money which could be better spent elsewhere.
“We are urging people who use wipes to put them in the bin once used, rather than flushing them into the sewer, to reduce the number of unnecessary blockages we deal every day.”