New flushable product standards to fight fatbergs

Wet wipes, nappies and other non-flushable products are a major cause of blockages in sewerage systems. They can lead to fatbergs and sewage overflows.

The new standards have been in development for the past three years by Water New Zealand, resulting in a world-first, industry-wide flushable standard for manufacturers.

Only products that meet the standard can be labelled as flushable, and it will be an offence for a manufacturer to label a product as flushable if it does not meet this standard.

A fatberg is a rock-like mass of congealed waste in a sewerage system. It is formed by the combination of flushed non-biodegradable solids, such as wet wipes, rags, fat, oil and grease deposits.

In 2020, $100,000 was spent jet-cleaning a half-tonne fatberg from Gisborne's sewer network. The mass was largely composed of fat, wet wipes and rags.

And earlier this year, a raw sewage overflow in Stephens Bay, near Kaiteriteri, was caused by the fat residue build-up in the wastewater network.

In 2017, a giant 250-metre fatberg was discovered in London. It weighed 130 tonnes and was more than twice the length of the Wembley Stadium football pitch.

Such a blockage has the potential to come back up through domestic or commercial pipes and cause flooding – something the Wellington region has seen happen a few too many times in recent years, resulting in sewage pouring down city streets and into the harbour.

“We conservatively estimate that it costs utilities companies in Aotearoa New Zealand at least $16 million each year to unblock pipes caused by wipes and other non-flushables,” said Water NZ’s technical manager Noel Roberts.

“While we at this stage continue to urge people not to flush anything other than the three Ps (pee, poo and toilet paper), consumers will soon be able to check for the flushable symbol on packaging. If there’s no flushable symbol on the packet, then don’t flush it – bin it.”

Currently, manufacturers are not required to display a “do not flush” warning on their packaging. And there are several products on the market that are advertised as being flushable, though they are not compatible with our wastewater systems and can lead to blockages. These products will have to have their packaging claims changed to comply or risk breaching the Fair Trading Act (FTA) and facing steep fines.

The rules are in force now, although a transition period of about one month is expected to allow companies time to test their products against the standards and incorporate the new symbol on packaging.

Wastewater systems are vital to protect public health and the environment. When blockages occur, there is a risk that wastewater may spill from the system and create public health and environmental risks, along with other unnecessary costs to water utilities and customers. 

How can I tell if a product is flushable?  

Flushable products will have a clearly identifiable symbol on the packaging. If it does not have this symbol, it does not meet the flushability standards and should be put in the rubbish bin rather than the toilet.

If you see one of these symbols on your packaging, it indicates the product meets the flushability standard and is safe to flush.

What type of products do not meet the standards criteria? 

Products that contain plastic, that don’t disintegrate, and those that cannot pass easily through pipework or pumps do not meet standard. These contribute to the dreaded fatbergs which wreak havoc in our sewerage systems.

Penalties for misleading representation

The Commerce Commission enforces the FTA, which prohibits false, misleading and unsubstantiated representations. If businesses claim products are flushable then those claims must be truthful, accurate and able to be substantiated. Additionally, businesses that say that products comply with a standard must ensure they comply with the standard in full and have evidence to demonstrate compliance.

There are serious penalties for breaching the Fair Trading Act. Companies can be fined up to $600,000 and individuals up to $200,000 per breach.