Around 1 billion wet wipes are removed from our sewer network each year in the South East, according to latest estimations from Southern Water’s dedicated FOG and Unflushables team.
The scale of the problem
If 1 billion wet wipes were stretched out, they would reach a distance of more than 111,000 miles – that’s 4.5 times round the earth.
Or that’s around 4,500 tonnes of wet wipes, the equivalent to the weight of 30 adult Blue Whales.
The breakdown for each county shows the approximate number of wet wipes removed.
- Kent: An estimated 370 million wipes removed
- Sussex: An estimated 330 million wipes removed
- Hampshire: An estimated 270 million wipes removed
- IOW: An estimated 30 million wipes removed
Wet wipes have become one of the biggest causes of sewer blockages. Between 2020 and 2025, they were behind 59% of the blockages cleared at Southern Water - more than 91,000 incidents!
Why wipes cause so much damage
Matt Collins, FOG & Unflushable manager said,
“We deal with around 30,000 blockages every year, and a lot of these could be avoided if wipes and other non-flushables were put in the bin instead.
“Unlike toilet paper, wet wipes, even those labelled “flushable”, don’t break down quickly enough. Instead, they snag in pipes and combine with fats and debris to form fatbergs that block sewers and overwhelm the system.
“From spring next year, it will be illegal to sell wet wipes containing plastic. This is a really positive step, and one many of us in the industry have been hoping for. But from what my team and I see day to day, it doesn’t go far enough to reflect the scale of the problem.”
A ban that doesn’t go far enough
The ban on wipes containing plastic comes into force in Spring 2027, but Matt and his team are now warning that so called ‘flushable’ wipes could create just as big an issue and can still cause blockages.
The consequences of this can be severe: flooding in homes and businesses, significant clean-up costs, and lasting environmental damage. Across the industry, dealing with these blockages costs an estimated £200 million every year.
But the damage doesn’t stop underground. Wet wipes are also a major source of visible pollution, with surveys finding an average of 20 wipes per 100 metres of UK coastline.
What Islanders can do
Only flush the three Ps – pee, paper and poo. Simple habits like using the bin can make a significant difference.
Putting wipes in the bin is a small action that protects homes, reduces costs and safeguards our environment.
News shared by the media team at Southern Water. Ed
