With warmer weather predicted and a long weekend ahead, Easter is a time many choose to carry out DIY jobs. So Northumbrian Water is urging people to help protect the environment by disposing of waste liquid correctly.
Tasks like decorating, plastering, washing cars and other jobs can often lead to people pouring leftover waste down, or allowing liquids to run into, roadside drains.
However, many people aren’t aware that such surface water drains lead directly into local watercourses, which can become polluted, even harming wildlife.
And people giving their house a thorough spring clean are also being reminded to put wipes in the bin, not down the toilet, to help protect homes and the environment from sewer flooding.
Steve Robson, Northumbrian Water’s Sewerage Operations Controller, said: “People often forget, or don’t realise, that many surface water road gullies, or even drains within their properties, lead directly into local watercourses.
“So, when paint, or even the run-off from car washing, go down there, there is a strong chance it will end up in a beck, burn, stream or river and this can cause pollution or endanger wildlife.
“It’s important that people take care to dispose of such liquids responsibly.
“Likewise, we would urge people to be careful how they dispose of cleaning products, such as wipes, in the home. If flushed down the toilet, they can settle or snag in pipes and cause or contribute to blockages that can flood homes, or the environment. So please, put them in the bin, even if the label says ‘flushable’, not down the toilet.”
To find out more about Northumbrian Water’s Bin The Wipe campaign, visit www.nwl.co.uk/binthewipe
If people see anything they think may be entering a watercourse, which shouldn’t be, they can contact Northumbrian Water on
0345 7171100.