Alderney States' plea on flushing plastic as sewer 'struggles to cope'

Residents have been reminded that only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down domestic toilets

A sewer network in Alderney is "struggling to cope" with an increase in the flushing of plastic items down the drain.

Residents have been reminded that only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down domestic toilets.

It comes after States Works spent two days at Longis sewer outlet clearing the treatment tanks of blockages.

The blockages were caused by a build-up of plastic items such as wet wipes, cotton buds and sanitary products.

The sewer outlet, on the south side of Alderney, serves about 80 households.

These kinds of blockages lead to flooding and pollution, and could result in sewage backing up into people's homes, the States said.

"We're asking the residents to co-operate because these plastic products so easily cause blockages which lead to sewer flooding and damaging environmental pollution and could even cause sewage to back up into people's homes," said Boyd Kelly, Chairman of the General Services Committee.

"These items should be disposed of through the household waste collection service and not flushed into the sewer network."

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