Greenacres worker Jay Paora screens out the clogged up wet wipes. When it comes to flushing, island residents are being urged to stick to the “three Ps”. Photo supplied

Stop flushing wet wipes! This is the message to residents after two tonnes of disposable wipes sucked from island septic tanks were shipped to Auckland landfill for burial last week.

Toilet paper is the only thing you should be putting in the toilet according to Greenacre’s Sylvia Hubbard, who had to drive the truckload of the clogged fabric off island for disposal.

Greenacres is Waiheke’s only accredited wastewater operator, based at a 100-acre site outside Onetangi where our septic contents are delivered.

When it comes to septic tanks, people are advised to stick to the three Ps: pee, poo and (toilet) paper.

“People shouldn’t have this in their tanks,” Sylvia told Gulf News. “It’s awful, it blocks the hoses and causes issues; we have a screening plant and we have to sieve everything out.

“It has cost Greenacres Waiheke dearly to sieve all these solid items out of the island liquid organic waste stream, dry them out carefully, parcel them up carefully, put them on a truck, drive to landfill, pay the rather large tipping fee for a special burial and pay the barge fares both ways.

“Please be careful about what goes down the loo, just because it’s flushable doesn’t mean it’s compostable.”

And before readers jump to the conclusion visitors are responsible for flushing wipes, think again. • Liza Hamilton

Full story in this week’s Gulf News… Out Now!!!

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