How Much Do Wet Wipes Cost Australia’s Water Utilities Each Year?

The short answer. Australian water utilities spend an estimated $15 million a year clearing wet wipes and related waste from the sewer system. Sydney Water alone removes around 500 tonnes of wet wipes annually at a cost of $8 million. Yarra Valley Water in Melbourne clears roughly 650 tonnes at a cost close to $1 million. Queensland Urban Utilities pulls out around 120 tonnes and manages 3,500 blockages a year. Most of the wipes causing these blockages were marketed as safe to flush.

How many wet wipes end up in Australian sewers?

The numbers are large enough that most people find them hard to believe. Between three of the country’s biggest water utilities alone, more than 1,270 tonnes of wet wipes are pulled out of the sewer network each year. That figure does not include Melbourne Water, Sydney’s smaller utilities, most of Western Australia, or the smaller regional utilities across the country. The true national total is likely closer to double.

Wet wipes are the primary driver of sewer blockages in Australia. They combine with fats, oils, and grease in the pipes to form dense masses called fatbergs. Once a fatberg forms, it does not break apart on its own. Utility crews have to physically cut, chip, or pressure-wash it out of the system.

What does that actually cost water utilities?

The published cost figures from Australia’s major utilities sit like this:

Utility	Wet wipes cleared	Annual cost	Blockages
Sydney Water	~500 tonnes/year	~$8 million	Not disclosed
Yarra Valley Water (Melbourne)	~650 tonnes/year	~$1 million	Not disclosed
Queensland Urban Utilities	~120 tonnes/year	~$1 million	~3,500/year
National total (WSAA estimate)	Not disclosed	~$15 million	Not disclosed

The Water Services Association of Australia estimates the total national cost at approximately $15 million per year, though this is widely considered an under-estimate as many utilities do not publish itemised wipe-related figures. In practice, every water bill in Australia includes a small but real component that goes toward fixing this problem.

Why do wet wipes cause blockages if they’re marketed as flushable?

Around 90 percent of wet wipes sold globally are made from plastic, typically polyester or polypropylene, which makes them terrible sewer citizens. Plastic wipes do not disintegrate in water the way toilet paper does. They stay intact as they move through household plumbing, into the sewer main, and then bond with fats to form fatbergs.

The word “flushable” on a packet has, until recently, been largely unregulated in Australia. Manufacturers have used it inconsistently, and consumers have had no reliable way to know which wipes will actually break down and which will not.

Isn’t there a standard for flushable wipes?

Yes. In May 2022, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand jointly published AS/NZS 5328:2022, the Australian and New Zealand Standard for flushable products. To meet the standard, a wet wipe must pass six independent tests that verify it behaves like toilet paper as it moves through household drains, municipal pumps, and wastewater treatment plants.

The testing is stringent. Only two laboratories globally are currently equipped to run the full suite: SGS in the United States and CTP in France. That means AS/NZS 5328 is one of the more rigorous flushability standards in the world, and it is stricter in some respects than the international INDA and EDANA Code of Practice used elsewhere.

How many wet wipes on the Australian market actually meet the standard?

The honest answer is: not many. AS/NZS 5328 is voluntary. There is no requirement for manufacturers to test their products against it, and no penalty for continuing to use the word “flushable” on a pack that has not been tested. As a result, the majority of wet wipes sold in Australian supermarkets and pharmacies today, including many that are marketed as flushable, have not been certified to the current standard.

If you want to know whether a specific wipe meets the standard, look for a clear statement on the packaging that the product complies with AS/NZS 5328:2022, or the approved flushable logo. If neither marker is present, it should go in the bin.

What does this cost the average Australian household?

Beyond the amount that filters into water bills, a wipe-related blockage on a private property can cost up to $1,000 in emergency plumbing. Insurance often does not cover it, because the cause is classified as user behaviour rather than infrastructure failure. Repeated blockages can also damage private pipes, particularly in older homes with clay pipe runs where any obstruction accelerates root ingress and cracking.

For most households, the maths is simple. Flushing non-compliant wet wipes may save a few seconds today, and cost several hundred to several thousand dollars later.

How can I tell if a wet wipe is genuinely flushable?

Look for one or both of the following on the packaging:

• A statement that the product complies with, or meets, AS/NZS 5328:2022.
• The approved flushable logo, which shows a person disposing of an item in a toilet.

If a product carries neither, do not flush it. Non-flushable wipes should carry a “Do Not Flush” label, usually depicted as a person disposing of an item in a bin. And if in doubt, use the rule that every Australian water utility uses: bin it.

Frequently asked questions

How much do wet wipes cost Australian water utilities each year?

The Water Services Association of Australia estimates the total national cost at around $15 million per year. Sydney Water alone spends approximately $8 million. Yarra Valley Water and Queensland Urban Utilities each spend around $1 million. These figures are widely considered under-estimates as many utilities do not publish itemised wipe-related figures.

How many wet wipes does Sydney Water remove from the sewer network annually?

Sydney Water removes approximately 500 tonnes of wet wipes from its sewer network each year, at an average cost of around $8 million.

What is a fatberg?

A fatberg is a dense congealed mass formed inside a sewer system when non-disintegrating items such as wet wipes bind with fats, oils, and grease. Fatbergs do not break apart on their own and must be physically removed by utility crews using cutting equipment or pressurised water.

Are all wet wipes labelled “flushable” actually flushable?

No. Before AS/NZS 5328:2022 was published in May 2022, the term was used inconsistently, and many wipes marketed as flushable would not break down in the sewer. To be genuinely flushable in Australia today, a product must comply with AS/NZS 5328:2022 and clearly indicate this on its packaging.

What does the Australian flushability standard require?

AS/NZS 5328:2022 requires a wet wipe to pass six independent tests, including toilet bowl and drain line clearance, household pump tests, disintegration, municipal pump tests, settling in wastewater treatment plants, and aerobic biodegradability. Only two accredited laboratories globally can run the full suite: SGS in the United States and CTP in France.

How much can a wet wipe blockage cost my household?

A wipe-related blockage on a private property can cost up to $1,000 in emergency plumbing. Insurance often does not cover it, as the cause is classified as user behaviour rather than infrastructure failure.

Where Kine fits in

Kine is an Australian-owned personal care brand producing plant-based cloths in South Australia. Two of our products, Body Cloths and Baby Wipes, are independently certified to AS/NZS 5328:2022 and can be flushed. The other four SKUs in our range (Hand Cloths, Surface Cloths, Makeup Removal Cloths, and Pet Cloths) are not flushable and should be disposed of in the bin. We are deliberate about which claim applies to which product, because the sewer system is not the place to test the difference.

Plant-based does not mean flushable. Plastic-free does not mean flushable. Flushable means tested to AS/NZS 5328:2022. If a brand is asking you to trust them on it, ask for the certification. If they cannot show it, bin the wipe.

Kine for you. Kine for yours. Kine for the environment.

Water Services Association of Australia, industry statements on wet wipe blockage costs.

Sydney Water, Yarra Valley Water, and Queensland Urban Utilities public statements on wet wipe blockage costs and volumes.

Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, AS/NZS 5328:2022 Flushable products.