WSAA welcomes the announcement by the ACCC that the Federal Court of Australia has ordered Pental Limited and Pental Products Pty Ltd to pay penalties of $700,000 for making false and misleading representations about its White King ‘flushable’ toilet and bathroom cleaning wipes.
WSAA and the urban water industry in Australia and New Zealand have been concerned for some time about the contribution of wet wipe products to pipe blockages and in turn disruption to customer services, extra costs and impacts on the environment’, said Mr Adam Lovell, Executive Director WSAA.
WSAA is progressing the development of an Australian Standard which would provide clear specifications for what is ‘flushable’. WSAA is seeking to have a draft document completed by the end of this year.
“An Australian Standard would provide manufacturers with clear specifications to design products compatible with the sewerage network’, said Mr Lovell.
Separately, WSAA recently represented Standards Australia as part of an International Standards Organisation meeting to finalise a reference document outlining aspects of the sewerage system that manufacturers should consider in designing products intended for toilet disposal.
Without a Standard, WSAA and its members continue to call for clearer labelling and advise customers that only the 3Ps – Pee, Poo and toilet Paper – should be flushed.
‘This is an international issue for water utilities around the globe and while there is no standard at present, customers need clearer labelling to ensure these products do not contribute to blockages in urban wastewater systems’, said Mr Lovell.
The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) is the peak industry body representing the urban water industry. Our members provide water and sewerage services to over 20 million customers in Australia and New Zealand and many of Australia's largest industrial and commercial enterprises.
13 Apr 2018
