Municipalities finding flushed wipes, gloves, toilet paper
By Jenna Cocullo, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Chatham-Kent has managed to avoid one unforeseen problem caused by the COVID-19 crisis that municipalities have reported: clogged sewer pipes from flushing hygiene products down the toilet.
Several Ontario municipalities, including Windsor and Cobourg, have experienced plugged sewer lines due to paper towels, wipes, and gloves being flushed down the toilet instead of thrown in the garbage can.
PUBLIC WORKS: Our Environmental Services Department recently found a plug in the sewer line which consisted of wipes, gloves, paper towel and many other products.
Please do your part to take care of your sanitary system by ONLY flushing toilet paper! https://t.co/gZhxAZyNen pic.twitter.com/lPkTHCS5lu
— Town of Cobourg (@TownofCobourg) April 14, 2020
Tim Sunderland, General Manager Water Wastewater Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission, said that his staff has not complained about the issue arising in our municipality yet.
“Every community seems to be getting that problem at different stages, but our staff hasn’t seen plugged pumps because people are flushing the wrong products yet,” he said.
Sunderland is reminding everyone that the only thing they should be flushing down the toilet is their toilet paper and waste products.
“Disposable wipes and everything else we are seeing put down the drain won’t break down in the collection system.”
