Reducing Emergency Sewer Repairs

Wastewater treatment plant operators have dealt with clogging problems at their plants and pump stations for decades, but the meteoric rise in the use of disposable wipes and other non-dispersible products has accelerated the problem to epidemic proportions.

When paper towels, cleaning cloths, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products and cosmetic wipes are flushed down the toilet, they ultimately reach influent pump stations at wastewater treatment plants relatively intact – clogging and jamming pumps, check valves and screens, and significantly increasing maintenance, repair and operational costs. Wet wipe consumption overall has nearly tripled in the past decade and continues to grow.