With toilet paper still a hot commodity, Dubbo Regional Council are urging people to avoid using paper towels or napkins as an alternative, with these items causing costly blockages in residential sewer pipes and council sewer mains.
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A spokesperson for Dubbo Regional Council said the paper towels and napkins were not designed to break down in water like toilet paper.
"Flushing them can result in blockages and expensive home plumbing problems.
"Wet wipes, nappies, sanitary napkins, razors, cotton buds and syringes also should not be flushed in the toilet."
The call comes as residents continue to stockpile toilet paper amid the coronavirus prompted panic, that has the product selling from shelves at supermarkets faster than it can be stocked.
Wet wipes, nappies, sanitary napkins, razors, cotton buds and syringes also should not be flushed in the toilet
- A Dubbo Regional Council spokesperson
The Dubbo Regional Council spokesperson said while they had not yet experienced an increase in the number of sewer main blockages reported as a result of the toilet paper shortage, they still wanted to remind residents to only use toilet paper when flushing their toilets.
"Internal plumbing pipes are of a smaller diameter than council sewer mains and a blockage is more likely to be caused in the home than the sewage system if toilet paper substitutes are used.
"The risk of blockages is greater for properties reusing grey water in gardens as they may not produce the water flush to move heavier papers through internal drains," the spokesperson said.
Retail giants Coles and Woolworths have put limits on the number of packets of toilet paper individuals can purchase as more people stock up.
Amid the outcry over the panic buying Woolworths have also partnered with Meals on Wheels to make sure those unable to purchase in large volumes are able to get toilet paper on a regular basis when they need it.
The panic buying has also prompted health authorities to emphasise the quarantining of people who may have come into contact with COVID-19 only lasts two weeks.
In the past enormous clusters of wet wipes that have been flushed down toilets have created 'fatbergs' that clogged sewer pipes, including a one-tonne cluster that blew out a pumping station near Lake Macquarie in 2016.
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