Wipes of all types — even ‘flushable’ ones — wreaking havoc in city sewer system
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, 2:30 p.m. – The Bardstown City’s Council water and wastewater committee reviewed changes last Wednesday to the ordinance governing the city wastewater system that includes a specific ban on wipes — even those labeled as “flushable.”
City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau explained that wipes of any kind — cleaning or baby wipes — flushed into the city’s sewer system create havoc with the city’s sewer lines and even its equipment at its sewer plants that can jeopardize the safety of city employees.
The ordinance that the City Council will review Tuesday night adds “wipes of any kind” to the list of waste prohibited from entering the sewer sytem.
City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau discusses the revised ordinance governing the city’s sanitary sewer system at a recent water & wastewater committee meeting.
Filiatreau explained that wipes have created numerous line blockages around the city. In one instance, the wipes had collected and turned into a solid mass that required a backhoe to remove.
Wipes that don’t clog sewer lines can clog the pumps at “lift” stations along the way, or clog lines or pumps at the sewer treatment plant.
The wipes also foul aerators at the treatment plant, which require city employees to get in a small boat and float into the waste-filled treatment lagoons and remove the accumulated wipes by hand from the aerator equipment. Its time-consuming work that’s potentially hazardous, she explained.
Wipes have been a problem for sewer operators and homeowners since they were introduced, Filiatreau explained, and some cities have filed lawsuits against wipe manufacturers who advertise their products as “flushable.”
Filiatreau said the best advice for homeowners is to never flush any type of wipe. The wipes may clog home plumbing in addition to the problems they can create in the city sewer system.
The new ordinance also updates restricted discharges of industrial chemicals and metals; provides flow measuring options for industrial sewer customers; and updates wastewater loading surcharges.
HYDROGEN SULFIDE ISSUES. The accumulation of hydrogen sulfide gas in the sewer system is causing damage to portions of the city’s sewer system, Filiatreau explained. The gas is corrosive to metal and concrete, and Filiatreau said some of the manholes the city rehabilitated several years ago have been damaged. The gas can also damage lift stations and sewer plant fixtures and pumps.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly corrosive gas that has the odor of rotten eggs and can be toxic. The gas is generated when sewage in a line moves too slowly and the sewage has time to go septic. Waste that stays in a sewer line longer than 48 hours goes septic, she explained.
There are a variety of ways to deal with H2S, and the city’s engineering staff is continuing to evaluate solutions.
NEXT UP. The Bardstown City Council will consider the sewer system ordinance draft at its meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2018, at the City Council Annex on Xavier Drive next to the Rec Center gym.
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