Exclusive:SNP accused of 'washing hands' of fatbergs crisis clogging up sewers and costing £20,000 a day

Scottish Water spent £7.5m unclogging fatbergs in 2024.

The SNP have been accused of “washing their hands” of responsibility for more than 530 Scottish fatbergs containing wet wipes every week - costing water bosses around £20,000 a day.

Up to £7.5 million is being spent to clear blockages each year, with almost 35,000 obstructions removed in 2024, new figures have revealed.

Wet wipes are a major cause of fatbergs | Getty Images

SNP ministers have vowed to ban wet wipes, while “enforcement activities or penalties” could be handed out after it emerged around 80 per cent of the fatbergs were caused by wet wipes, sanitary products, fats, oils, and grease being dumped in the sewers.

Fine to Flush certification for zero-plastic products on UK supermarket shelves came to an end in March last year after trade body, Water UK, cancelled the scheme because of “consumer confusion” and continuing problems with sewer blockages.

READ MORE: The massive penalties public bodies and water companies would face for ecocide in Scotland

But products bearing the mark are still on sale in Scotland and available online through the likes of Amazon.

Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden has urged the SNP Government to take a tougher stance on pollution that Scottish Water says costs the public £7.5m a year.

The Scottish Government said it supported Scottish Water’s “Nature Calls” campaign to promote binning, not flushing. Now, Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said she was “considering future options in this area”.

Ms Martin said her Government had “supported various public awareness campaigns run by environmental NGOs, including the Marine Conservation Society”.

SNP Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin | Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

She said: “The Scottish Government supported the work of Water UK in developing and promoting the Fine to Flush certification while this scheme was in operation. The labelling of products, including that of sanitary items such as wet wipes, remains a reserved issue. We are considering future options in this area.

“There are no regulations in Scotland relating to the ‘flushability’ of wet wipes, therefore there can be no associated enforcement activities or penalties imposed upon companies.

READ MORE: 'Absolutely honking': More than 2,000 complaints of sewage dumping made in Scotland

“Our forthcoming regulations to restrict market access to wet wipes containing plastic are centred on the material content of the product, and these regulations will be enforceable if wet wipes containing plastic are sold or supplied outwith the exemptions for medical or industrial uses.”

Mr Golden said: “In Scotland and the rest of the UK, the message needs to be simple — absolutely all wet wipes should be binned.

Conservative MSP Maurice Golden | Scottish Parliament TV

“The SNP are adept at trying to blame Westminster when it suits them politically. Things are only reserved when they are difficult to do. This ‘considering future options’ rhetoric is just SNP jargon for washing their hands of it.

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“Even though Fine to Flush was well-meaning, these products are contributing to blocked sewers, environmental damage on our beaches, and flooding problems.

“The problem of fatbergs and dirty beaches is happening on the SNP’s watch and they need to get on top of this with Scottish Water.”

A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: “We have been calling for many years on customers to bin all wipes, and not flush them down toilets, to help protect the environment.

“Our Nature Calls campaign led the way in demanding a ban on wet wipes made with plastic and we welcomed an announcement last year that the UK would ban wet wipes containing plastic, with this becoming effective in Scotland by mid-2026.

“Wet wipes containing plastic are a major cause of sewer blockages and marine litter. Every year, our teams attend over 36,000 blockages in drains and sewers, which could cause flooding in homes and neighbourhoods, pollute rivers, burns and coastal waters.

“Eighty per cent of these blockages are caused by people flushing the wrong items down the toilet, or pouring fats, oil and grease down the sink.”