The Flossmoor Public Works Department is asking residents to stop putting flushable wet wipes in their toilets. The department has also advised against flushing baby wipes, paper towels and disinfectant wipes, encouraging residents to only flush human waste and toilet paper.
Some municipalities have reported an increase in clogged sewer pipes since the COVID-19 outbreak, citing these wipes as a part of the problem.
Public Works Director John Brunke said these wipes can cause damage to Flossmoor’s sewer system.
“(These) wipes are made of a cloth material that does not break down in the sewage system like toilet paper and tissue paper,” Brunke said. “These materials get hung up in older sewer pipes and cause blockages in a sanitary sewer system.
“These materials also clog up our lift station pumps and require our public works personnel to remove the clogs in the pumps on a frequent basis.”
Pumps need to be cleaned every one or two weeks, Brunke said.
The clogs have to be removed manually by public works staff. Additionally, these clogs can cause excessive wear on pump propellers, which can lead to repairs costing upward of $5,000.
“I am not aware of any wipes on the market, other than toilet paper and tissue paper, that are really flushable and will not create the issues that we, and other municipalities and utilities, experience in our systems,” Brunke said. “Manufacturers of these wipes claim they are flushable, but they really are not because of the damage and issues they cause in the system all the way up to the treatment plants.”
Brunke said he has not noticed an increase in the number of flushable wipes in Flossmoor’s sewer system so far, but this could change.
“We anticipate this problem will get worse until we can educate the public that this is really an issue we need their help with,” Brunke said.