Think before you flush!

The ‘Dirty Dozen’ are the twelve most common items the public flush and dump down our sewers.

The ring leader is the innocent looking Baby Wipe, closely followed by Sanitary Towel.

These ordinary household items head a gang of everyday products that cause mayhem with the sewer system when flushed down the toilet or dumped in the sewers.

Help NI Water beat the ‘dirty dozen’ by not flushing your baby wipes, cotton buds or nappies and avoid the need for your plunger and their resources.

Here’s a little guide:

Blockages caused by objects that the sewerage system has not been designed for can create huge damage to your and possibly your neighbours’ property.

What can be flushed:

Human waste (excrement)

Toilet paper (not too much and not the moist, extra strong type)

What shouldn’t be flushed and how it should be disposed of...

Bag and bin all of these:

Sanitary items – towels, tampons, applicators, panty liners, backing strips, etc.

Disposable nappies, liners and baby wipes

All wipes, including baby, bathroom and toilet

Incontinence pads

Condoms and femidoms

Colostomy bags

Bandages and plasters

Cotton buds, cotton wool

Contact lenses

Toothbrushes

Pictured: Jacob (7) and Bethany (4) join forces against the ‘Dirty Dozen’