Notice to TOWN OF SOURIS Residents
Flushing that ‘flushable’ wipe?? Not so fast. . .
When you need to get rid of something unpleasant, your first reflex may be to flush it down the toilet and forget about it.
But it’s after you push the lever that it can become a problem. A BIG problem.
A typical clog pulled out of a sewer lift pump may include any combination of the usual suspects: baby wipes, paper towels, feminine products, dental floss and disposable cleaning products, or they can be gummed up with fats and grease.
But, increasingly, utility officials nationwide are casting suspicion on a popular product labeled as safe for sewer systems: Flushable toilet wipes.
If you put toilet paper in a jar and shake it up, it falls apart fairly quick; you put a flushable wipe in there and it will stay whole for quite some time.
Just because it’s packaged as disposable doesn’t mean it will dissolve, even some wipes marked as flushable take a very long time to dissolve. If they do make it through the sewerage lift station (without clogging it up), they will end up at our sewerage treatment plant fully intact and ready to wreak havoc there.
The problem is growing because people are increasingly using disposable hygiene and cleaning products, and some may not realize the damage they can do to sewer systems.
In recent years these types of flushable/disposable products have cost the Town of Souris several thousand dollars in unclogging sewer lift stations and replacing worn-out pumps. Added costs for repairs eventually will mean higher sewer rates for customers.
“We are not saying you should not use these types of products, but if you do, please do not flush them, they should be disposed of in your solid waste.”
Your continued support and cooperation are appreciated.
Shelley LaVie, CAO
Greg Jay, Maintenance Dept. Supervisor
Town of Souris, P.E.I.