Utility Implores Consumers To Consider The High Costs Of Unflushables

Toilets are not trash cans. That’s the message the Fargo, ND, wastewater system is trying to send to ratepayers.

“Non-dispersible items like towels, wrappers and garbage may flush but the junk builds up in sewer pipes and causes blockages. Wastewater staff has to clear the pumps by hand,” WDAY TV reported.

Don Tucker, Fargo wastewater superintendent, weighed in.

"If it happens in the lift stations, they have to shut the pump down, pull the pump out and pull all of the rags out of the pump,” he said, per the report.

Flushing the unflushable can cause costly problems in the wastewater system. In Washington State, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division spent over $120,000 in 2014 “just to take the wipes, tampons, and other trash that came into our treatment plants to a landfill. That’s enough trash to fill two semi-trucks every week! Plus, there’s the increased cost for system operation and maintenance,” according to the county.

King County made a straightforward pitch to ratepayers with this message: “Use a trash can instead of the toilet to dispose of used wipes, hygiene products and other items that don’t break down like toilet paper.”

Back in Fargo, officials are looking for cost-savings in the wastewater system. The city is considering whether it is time to clean its wastewater lagoons.

“Officials here say the city's wastewater lagoons contain about 52 million gallons of solid waste,” WDAY TV reported.

The mayor has shown resistance to studying a proposal to clean them because of the cost, according to the report.

“The city has never dredged its oldest lagoons during their 55-year life span, although most lagoons are cleaned every 20 to 25 years. To clean the lagoon, crews dry it out, then dig out the leftover sludge or use a vacuum-like device to suck it out,” the report said.

To read more about the dangers of flushing unflushables visit Water Online’s Wastewater Pumps Solutions Center.