Forbes Shire Council is urging residents to not rush the flush and help keep our sewer network healthy.

The message comes in response to a significant rise in non-flushable items ending up in the sewer network in recent months.

Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said our system is designed for only three things - pee, poo and toilet paper.

“Everything else belongs in the bin," the Mayor said.

“The worst offenders are baby wipes, ‘flushable wipes’, sanitary products, nappies, cotton buds and Q-tips.

"Believe it or not, our crews have even found cutlery, plastic balls and sprinkler heads in the pipes.

“Unlike toilet paper, these items don’t break down.

"They block pipes, damage pumps and lead to expensive repairs.

"These items also force our staff to spend valuable time manually removing and disposing of the waste, exposing them unnecessarily to raw sewage.”

Wet wipes and ‘flushable’ wipes cause 75 per cent of blockages in the sewer network.

On average, half a tonne of wipes are manually removed from the Forbes’ treatment system weekly.

Residents are encouraged to help keep the pipes clear and our system healthy by only flushing the three P’s (pee, poo and toilet paper).

Sticking to the three P’s helps avoid blockages and infrastructure damage, improves staff health and safety, lowers operational and maintenance costs, as well as ensures a cleaner, more reliable sewerage services for the community.

“Think before you flush. It’s a small action that makes a big difference,” Mayor Miller added.