A mix of clouds and sun. High 88F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.

Flushable wipes aren’t as disposable as people would like to believe, according to Gene Reed, Supervisor of the Williamston Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

Wipes are causing problems at the plant, costing the town, and ultimately taxpayers, money.

“Flushable/disposable wipes may technically be defined as flushable, but they don’t just disappear,” Reed said.

He said wipes might make it through a home septic system into the sewer, but they are not biodegradable and don’t break down as toilet paper is designed to do.

“They can build up in the sewer system in places like pump stations, valves, pump controls and sewer lines where they can, and do cause sewer spills,” he added. “Repair issues such as clogged and/or damaged pumps, valves and sewer lines are often a result of the buildup of these ‘disposable’ wipes.”

He said the cleanup comes at a cost to the town and the taxpayers.

“These issues almost always result in a significant cost to the town of Williamston’s taxpayers,” said Reed.

“Most recently disposable wipes caused the transducer to fail placing the influent pump in a high-level alarm situation. Luckily, we were on site and removed the wipes (two five-gallon buckets full). This situation happens at an ever-increasing rate due to wipes and the debris they collect,” he said.

A Vac Truck is scheduled to clean out the influent pump station on Wednesday at a cost to the Town of approximately $3,000.

He said there is a simple, easy fix to the problem.

He suggests placing disposable wipes in household trash, keeping them out of the toilet where they ultimately wind up in the sewer system.

“This will help keep our wastewater system flowing as designed, save the town money and could help save rural homeowners money as well,” he said.

He said researchers in Canada conducted a study where they tested 23 different types of wipes and none of them disintegrated enough to pass completely through the system.

“This is an issue that affects sewer systems nationwide and it is getting worse by the day,” Reed stated. “Please take the time to Google Flushable/Disposable wipes, look up videos on Youtube, visit the town’s website or it’s Facebook page,” he said.

“We also invite you to call the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant for more information at 252-792-4744.”

Reed thanked people in advance for help with this problem.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.

www.WilliamstonEnterpriseNC.com 106 W Main St Williamston, NC 27892 Main Phone: 252-792-1181 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

A receipt was sent to your email.