The United Kingdom has taken strong measures to eradicate the problem of sewer blockages caused by plastic-based wet wipes. Going forward, anyone caught flushing wet wipes down the toilet could face fines amounting to several million won or even up to two years in prison.
The Daily Mail reported that water authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown to prevent people from flushing wet wipes down toilets.
Most wet wipes are made of plastic components and do not biodegrade naturally, leading to sewer blockages that can cause backflow or malfunctions at sewage treatment plants. Near Hammersmith Bridge in London, a so-called "Wet Wipe Island" formed by millions of accumulated wet wipes grew to the size of two tennis courts and was only removed after a three-week cleanup operation.
In response, Northumbrian Water, a water and sewage company in northeastern England, has developed special crane-like equipment to detect and retrieve wet wipes accumulated in sewers. When this equipment identifies the responsible household, fines are imposed and repair costs are also charged.
The authorities use sewer blockage data to identify areas with severe problems and install equipment in manholes within those zones to trace the source of wet wipe inflow. Rob Miller, a sewer maintenance worker on site, said, "I have collected up to 150 wet wipes from a single large drain in one day," adding, "Some households flush as many as 30 wet wipes a day, often without realizing it."
Northumbrian Water stated that this crackdown has nearly halved the number of blockage cases across its 30,000-kilometer sewer network and reduced internal flooding incidents by 65%.
An official warned, "Even if a product is advertised as flushable, it should never be disposed of in the toilet," adding, "All wet wipes except for toilet paper must be thrown away in regular trash."
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