The growth in the number of wipes and related products labelled “flushable” over the past 15 years has been a multi-million dollar headache for water utilities around the globe.
Image supplied by SA Water.
The Water Services Association of Australia continues to contribute to efforts to solve this problem both globally and at home.
Dr Greg Ryan, Director Business Excellence represents WSAA on the International Water Service Flushability Group (IWSFG), a group made up of water experts from around the world.
First released in 2018, the IWSFG has developed a 2020 version of their Publicly Available Specification (PAS) following a critical review process.
The PAS aligns with the key aspects required for materials to be compatible with sewerage infrastructure as defined through the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
“The internationally agreed upon specification is a great step forward,” says Dr Greg Ryan, Chair of the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG).
“The PAS’s documents provide a base from which countries can develop their own flushability standards, using a specification derived by water utility representatives with expert knowledge of the sewerage system and what is necessary for its protection”, says Dr Ryan.
The IWSFG specification is supported by water utilities in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States of America.
Work continues in Australia on our own national standard where WSAA is leading the development of an Australian Standard for Flushable Products.
The Standard will include pass/fail criteria and is being developed by manufacturers, water utilities, peak bodies and consumer groups. It will provide manufacturers with clear specifications to design products that are compatible with the sewerage network in Australia.
Until the Standard is finalised we advise consumers to only flush the 3Ps – Pee, Poo and toilet Paper.
3 Dec 2020
