Thames Water, Britain's biggest sewage company, has warned the public not to flush kitchen towels and wipes down the toilet, which could form "grease balls" blocking drains, the Guardian reported Wednesday.
The "grease balls", which Thames Water spends a lot of money cleaning up each year, are usually made up of grease and non-biodegradable materials. A spokesman for the water company said: "We recommend throwing grease and wipes into the bin to avoid 'grease balls'." "We are seeing a shortage of toilet paper," said Richard Wilding, a British logistics and supply chain expert.
"Worryingly, there is also a shortage of kitchen paper towels and industrial paper towels and wipes that are used in places such as car repair shops and workshops." Wilding, who teaches at Cranfield School of Management, said people are less likely to think about the consequences of flushing the toilet paper replacement down the toilet when snapping up toilet paper and other tissue products. "
If kitchen paper towels, wipes or industrial paper towels are used as a substitute for toilet paper [to flush down the toilet], our sewer system can quickly become clogged and increase the associated health risks.
Water companies may end up without the infrastructure and equipment to unclog the pipes.