Fine to flush certification to go down the pan

Water UK is to withdraw its certification of single-use “wet wipes” as safe to be flushed into the sewerage network in March 2024.

The Fine to Flush certification (Water Industry Specification 4-02-06) was developed and introduced by Water UK and the Water Research Centre in 2019. The ending of the certification scheme has followed growing concern about the public’s misunderstanding of it.

Environment secretary, Therese Coffey, wrote to wipe manufacturers in May sharing her concerns about confusion among consumers about the labelling of single-use wet wipe products. Water UK said the government, has committed to supporting Water UK’s behaviour change campaign Bin the Wipe and to consulting on a ban on wet wipes containing plastic.

Wipes with the Fine to Flush logo were considered as having been “thoroughly tested to ensure they do not cause environmental damage from sewage pollution caused by a blockage or pump failure linked to their use”. But confusion among users for reasons that ranged from a blanket belief that all wipes were now safe to flush to failure to follow instructions accompanying the Fine to flush logo that only one wipe should be flushed at a time.Engineers bag funding to backfit biogas booster at sewage plant