‘Banning plastic-based wipes will not stop sewer blockages’

England is looking to ban wet wipes containing plastic under plans to tackle water pollution.

The wipes are a big problem for water companies. Even ones that are advertised as flushable cause pipe blockages.

Guernsey Water operations manager Jon Holt said banning plastic would not solve the problem.

‘It is important to point out that not only plastic-based wipes pose a problem to Guernsey’s wastewater network,’ he said.

‘Given the fact that a typical flush in Guernsey will reach a pump within one hour, the risk of potential damage and blockages as a result of flushing any sort of wipe is very clear.’

The utility responds to about four pump blockages a month.

‘But blockages aren’t just an issue we have to deal with,’ Mr Holt said.

‘They can result in sewer flooding, environmental damage and even the back-up of sewage into properties.’

An £11m. pumping station was built at Belle Greve in 2013. It included three special screens, which help to remove any rubbish before the liquid is pumped out to sea.

‘Approximately 1.5 tonnes of non-biodegradable material is removed from Belle Greve wastewater centre every week at a cost of £698 per tonne,’ Mr Holt said. ‘The majority of this is wipes.’

In 2021 Guernsey Water issued a media release highlighting the significant impact wipes can have on the island’s drainage system, with a simple experiment which began in October 2019.

The experiment involved observing wipes submerged in jars of water to demonstrate the length of time it takes for these products to break down. At 700 days a plastic-based baby wipe appeared identical to the day it was popped into the jar.

A ‘flushable’ wipe also still showed some form of its original shape.

Now, more than 1,200 days later, the plastic-based baby wipe remains unchanged.

Islanders should only flush poo, pee and toilet paper, Guernsey Water said.