[Durham INC] Don't flush "Flushable" wipes - Announcement from Durham Water

[Will Wilson]

________________________________
From: Smart, Jennifer
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 10:58:29 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US 
& Canada)
To: interneighborhoodcouncil at gmail.com
Subject: "Flushable" wipes - Announcement from Durham Water

Hello Interneighborhood Council,

We here at City of Durham Department of Water Management were wondering 
if you could forward the message below to those on your listserve? We 
very much want to get the message out about not flushing “flushable” 
wipes to keep the sewer system running smoothly as our community tackles 
the daily challenges of this pandemic.

Thank you so much if you’re able to help, and don’t hesitate to contact 
me with any questions!

STATEMENT:


With toilet paper in the news, please remember it’s the only hygiene 
product that’s safe to flush.



We understand it’s getting hard to come by. But for the health of your 
family and our community, it’s important to note that “flushable” wipes 
are not actually flushable—despite the marketing. Unlike toilet paper, 
other materials don’t break down sufficiently in water. They quickly 
clog pipes. Wet wipes (baby wipes, pre-moistened towelettes, cleaning 
wipes, tissues, and paper towels) can wreak havoc on your home plumbing, 
septic tanks, and our City sewer system. Even the kinds of wipes marked 
“flushable” create clogs and damage equipment. They get caught at 
45-degree elbows in home plumbing and create backups. If they make it 
into the sewer system, they tend to obstruct pipes and lead to sewer 
overflows. Finally, if they travel all the way to one of our wastewater 
treatment plants, they become trapped in pumps and can cause tens of 
thousands of dollars in damage.



These are challenging times, and we don’t want any of you to experience 
the further stress of a home plumbing disaster. Nor do we want our 
dedicated employees stretched too thin as they continue working and 
caring for their own families.



All our best to you, stay healthy, and we’re so grateful you’ll keep 
these flushing tips in mind!



City of Durham

Department of Water Management