Wait! Don't flush that, official says

Montgomery County says wet wipes, diapers clogging sewer system.

A “monster fatberg” of wet wipes, diapers, condoms and

oil was found last week blocking a major sewer pipe in London. Officials in expect it will take three weeks to clear the glob estimated to weigh more than 11 double-decker buses and that runs the length of two soccer fields.

But sewer blockage is a concern on this side of the Atlantic, too.

While wet wipes may seem a time-saving convenience, they’re anything but for Montgomery County workers who must frequently unclog lift station pumps and repair damage to the sewer system caused by people putting so-called “flushable” items down toilets, said Brianna Wooten, Montgomery County Environmental Services communications coordinator. Do not flush them, she warns. “We always say only flush the 3 Ps: poo, pee and (toilet) paper. That’s it,” Wooten said. “Every- thing else should be thrown in the trash or disposed of properly.”

Montgomery County spends about $200,000 a year removing the wipes and repairing damage to equipment, she said.

The cost for Montgomery County doesn’t account for the most offensive items to be improp

erly disposed down drains: fats, oils, and grease.

“We screen out a lot of debris and items that should never enter the sanitary sewer system at all,” Wooten said. “The cost to remove and haul this debris to landfill directly impacts the cost of our operations.”

Wet wipes have been blamed on a 35-percent

increase in the number of broken pumps and clogged lines in suburban Washington, D.C.’s system, according to the Washington Post. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection told New York Magazine that clogs caused by “flushable” wipes are costing the city $18 million per year for extra disposal, not including staff overtime and damaged equipment. Diapers, toys, wood, pens and an assortment of plas- tics also stress the wastewa- ter system and sewer equip- ment.

Wooten said small, thin plastic materials, such as tampon applicators and cof- fee stirrers, can make it all the way through the treat- ment process and back into the natural environment.

“In fact, plastic tampon applicators are called ‘beach whistles’ in some areas,” she said. “Plastics should never be flushed down the drain.” Contact this reporter at 937225-2442 or Chris.Stewart@ coxinc.com.

CHRIS STEWART / STAFF Josh Feltz, a wastewater plant operator, shows a glob of wipes captured by the screening system at Montgomery County’s Eastern Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The county spends at least $200,000 a year unclogging, repairing equipment and disposing...

CONTRIBUTED BY THAMES WATER This “monster fatberg” was discovered inside a sewer in Whitechapel, London. British engineers say they have launched a “sewer war” against a giant fat blob clogging London’s sewers. Thames Water officials say it is likely to take three weeks to...