Council contractors today cleared a wastewater pipe blockage near Potae Avenue, which turned out to be caused by wet wipes.

“We are continually monitoring our wastewater system and working to improve it, but we are also appealing for help from the public,” said Phil Dodds, senior wastewater operations engineer.

“Wet wipes clearly should not be flushed, and should be disposed of in your general household rubbish. They might look as if they are environmentally friendly and made of cotton, but most are made of polyester and polypropylene. Nearly all of them are a non-woven fabric that resembles cloth or cotton.”

He said that in the pipes, wet wipes clotted together with other materials and caused serious blockages that required major work to clear.

“It’s a timely reminder that we only flush the 3Ps.”

© Scoop Media