An estimated 30million wet wipes have been removed from the Isle of Wight’s sewer network in recent years, as Southern Water warns that so-called ‘flushable’ wipes continue to cause widespread blockages despite an upcoming ban on plastic-containing products.
The figure forms part of new estimates released by Southern Water, which says around 1 billion wet wipes are removed from its sewer network across the South East each year.
Across the region, Kent accounts for an estimated 370 million wipes, Sussex 330 million, Hampshire 270 million and the Isle of Wight around 30 million.
Wet wipes have become one of the leading causes of sewer blockages, with Southern Water saying they were responsible for 59% of all blockages cleared between 2020 and 2025 – more than 91,000 incidents.
The water company says it deals with around 30,000 sewer blockages every year, many of which could be prevented if wet wipes and other non-flushable items were disposed of in household bins rather than flushed down toilets.
Matt Collins, FOG & Unflushables Manager, has 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.
Article continues below this advertisement “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.”
Although the sale of wet wipes containing plastic will be banned from Spring 2027, Southern Water says products marketed as ‘flushable’ can still create significant problems because they do not break down quickly enough once inside the sewer network.
The consequences of blocked sewers can include flooding in homes and businesses, expensive clean-up operations and pollution of rivers and coastlines.
Southern Water is urging residents across the Isle of Wight to remember the ‘3 Ps’ when using the toilet – only flush pee, poo and paper – and to dispose of wet wipes in the bin instead.
The company says simple changes in household habits can help reduce sewer blockages, protect the environment and avoid costly damage to homes and businesses.
Why wait for legislation. All shops could stop selling them now.