'Flushable' wipes don’t flush in Lewes
When it comes to flushing, Lewes wastewater Plant Manager F. James Burk wants people to think of the three Ps – pee, poop and paper. Those are the only three things that should be going down the toilet. Everything else can clog pipes and cost the city and residents money, he said.
A major cause of the problem is sanitary wipes that are marketed as flushable, Burk said.
The list also includes unmentionables like tampons, condoms and diapers.
All flushed materials are sent into the sewer lines. When they reach a pump station, they are put through a grinder, which easily reduces the three Ps into small particles, but the grinder does not work well with fibrous materials, such as wash cloths, T-shirts or flushable wipes. When these materials build up, they often block a pump, and his wastewater staff has to go out and unclog the pipes.
“When we go out and clean out a sewer line, that cost is spread out over the entire community,” Burk said. “But when people call about a clog, and we come out and it’s their pipes, Mr. Plumber has to come out and that can be expensive. Depending on the length of the sewer line, it's even more costly.”
People flushing things down the toilet has been a battle for decades, Burk said.
“When I first started in wastewater, the big thing then was hypodermic needles,” he said.
Board of Public Works General Manager Darrin Gordon said the key is education. The more people who know what's acceptable to flush or dump down the kitchen sink drain, the fewer clogs the city's staff will encounter. The BPW recently replaced the grinder at the largest lift station near the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal bridge, but a grinder can only do so much.
“We're doing the best we can on the maintenance side. We've got the right equipment in place,” Gordon said. “The more education we get out there the better.”
President C. Wendell Alfred said the problem is trying to communicate the message with such a transient population. The answer, he said, may be to go through the Realtors who rent homes in Lewes.
“If we can reduce it somewhat, then we're off to a good start,” he said.
