Be a Superhero, Not a Villain

Spidey-senses are tingling at Scottish Water after the discovery of a Spider-Man t-shirt which was blocking the sewer system in Dalmellington, East Ayrshire.

The discovery was made at Buchans Bridge Waste Water Pumping Station when Scottish Water workers were alerted to a blockage in one of the pumps. 

On further inspection workers were met with the ragged t-shirt clumped together with wipes and other items which had been wrongly flushed down the toilet. 

“Be a superhero, not a villain. Our Nature Calls campaign urges everyone to think twice before flushing anything other than pee, poo and toilet paper. All other items, including wipes, should go in the bin. By doing this we can all play an important role in helping to protect our environment.”

Ross Graham
Waste Water Treatment Leader

Speaking about this unusual find, Waste Water Treatment Team Leader Ross Graham, said: “Why anyone would think it was a good idea to flush an item of clothing down the toilet is beyond me – this could have had serious implications on our sewer network, not to mention the environmental impact it could have had if a sewer had become blocked and burst as a result. It’s absolutely ridiculous and meant that resources and time were wasted having to deal with it.

“Be a superhero, not a villain. Our Nature Calls campaign urges everyone to think twice before flushing anything other than pee, poo and toilet paper. All other items, including wipes, should go in the bin. By doing this we can all play an important role in helping to protect our environment.” 

While this is an extreme example of inappropriate items being put into the waste water system, across Scotland Scottish Water deals with over 36,000 blockages a year at a cost to customers of £7 million. It’s an unnecessary drain on resources and completely preventable if people follow the advice to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and toilet paper.  

Visit JoinTheWave.Scot to find out more about the Nature Calls campaign, including downloadable campaign assets and videos. Here, people can also ‘back the ban’ - we are calling for a ban on wipes that contain plastic. Several large retailers such as Tesco and Boots have since announced they are removing wipes made with plastic from their shelves.