Last year, the Canal de Isabel II removed more than 1,500 tons of waste from its sewerage network, into the nearly 300 spillways that avoid contaminating rivers after episodes of intense rain. Throwing objects, particularly wipes, down the toilet is a risky practice against which a media campaign will be launched and will last until December 3.
According to Canal sources, more than 30,000 tonnes of improperly disposed solid waste arrive each year in the region’s wastewater treatment plants. They can cause serious damage to these vital infrastructures for safeguarding aquatic ecosystems.
It is for this reason that the Community of Madrid launched the Play Fair information campaign: put the wipes in the trash to raise awareness of the environmental danger of throwing this waste down the toilet. This initiative is being rolled out on television, newspapers, radio, outdoor and digital media until December 3.
It warns citizens of the consequences of using toilets as trash cans, a habit that causes serious damage both to the interior installations of homes and to the sewer network, particularly in sewage treatment plants.
In fact, more than 1,500 tonnes of waste from the sanitation network were extracted from nearly 300 weirs equipped with mesh, bars and other containment devices which avoid contaminating the rivers after intense episodes of rain. The region has approximately 1,200 such wastewater discharges.
To check its operation, the CEO of Canal de Isabel II, Mariano González, visited one of these devices in Rivas Vaciamadrid on Tuesday. There, he checked for several nylon baskets filled with male and female hygiene items, leaves and other non-biodegradable solid remains.
These techniques help to contain pollution but Canal de Isabel II nevertheless insists on fighting this bad habit of using toilets as a trash can or trash can. Via this route, more than 30,000 tonnes of improperly disposed wet wipes and other solid waste arrive each year in the region’s wastewater treatment plants. And although toilet paper dissolves completely in a short time, the material of the wipes is different and does not degrade quickly enough, so they arrive intact at sewage plants, where they can get tangled in the waste. screens, sieves and pumps.
In addition, these accumulations increase the risks incurred by operators responsible for unblocking hydraulic equipment. In addition, Canal de Isabel II has quantified the annual additional cost that these discharges cause in the sanitation network at an average figure of 3.5 million euros. In 2023, Canal has invested more than 5 million euros in specific equipment to control this waste.
