Houston — A product that makes you feel clean is causing some annoying problems with urban sewer systems. Despite the label on the package, the staff of the sewage treatment system stated that washable wipes do not dissolve like toilet paper. They clog toilets and sewers, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Related: Sewer officials warn against flushing disinfectant wipes into toilets-even if the package says “Flushable”
When you rinse the wet wipes, it will pass from your home through the city’s sewer system until it reaches the pumping station and finally to the wastewater treatment plant.
“They stay solid in your system. When they come in, the combination with grease, like you see here, well, it just makes a mess,” Ryon Bell said.
“All these things, like a magnet, come together and cause the production line to stop,” Mueller said. “When you flush it, it may fall into your toilet, but in the end, someone must remove it. It must be removed somewhere, and it is likely to cause it to enter the wastewater treatment plant. Work is stopped on the way, or it will get stuck in a piece of equipment.”
When the system is overloaded, untreated sewage can flow back. The problem is getting worse. In 2019, Sugar Land reported that it received 250 shutdown calls. They received about 850 calls last year. This is more than three times the number of calls in one year.
Sugar Land has four sewage treatment plants. The city stated that it transports approximately 8 tons of trash from its facilities to landfills every week.
Sarah Robinson of the Houston Department of Public Works said the city spends between $3.7 million and $4.7 million a year to clear the sewers.
This is also a national problem. Charleston recently sued Kimberly-Clark, the manufacturer of Cottonelle, and other companies for the massive blockage of the city’s sewers in 2018. Last month, the company reached a settlement, but did not admit wrongdoing, saying that their flushable wipes were not a problem.
“It’s not true. We see it every day. We take it out of the pump every day, that’s it. This is a rag,” Mueller said.
The public works representative said there are steps people can take to help protect pipes and wallets.
“I can make it simple for you. We tell people to refresh only three Ps. Those are pee, poop and toilet paper. Nothing else should be flushed into the toilet, but should be thrown into the trash can,” Robinson said.
If you do flush other items and result in spare items in the City of Houston, you may face fines ranging from $50 to $2,500.
Post time: Nov-29-2021