MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – The City of Midwest City is urging people to stop flushing items that shouldn’t go down the toilet because it’s causing backups in the sewer system.
Workers at the Wastewater Treatment Plant say they’ve seen three times the amount of non-flushable items because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No wipes in the pipes, and when in doubt, throw it out,” Midwest City Public Works Director Paul Streets said.
Things like cleaning wipes, rags, diapers, paper towels, facial tissues and feminine hygiene products need to go in the trash.
“When you flush those down the toilet they end up creating jams, backing water up and ultimately backing sewer up, which is dangerous to families, and obviously we have to send crews out to try to get that cleaned out,” Streets said.
At the Wastewater Treatment Plant, a mixture of waste and non-flushable items fills whole dumpsters.
Streets says he thinks people are flushing more things during the pandemic because they think it’s a cleaner alternative.
“They think it’s safer than throwing it in the trash, but as long as their trash is bagged when they throw it away, there’s no risk to anyone, and it’ll be just fine,” he said.
When people put non-flushable items down the toilet, it only creates more work for crews.
“What we’re having to do is spend more time with preventative maintenance than we would with typical repairs that are scheduled,” Streets said.
Streets says even if products say they’re flushable, they’re not. Toilet paper is the only product that can be broken down in the system.
“So when you get one wipe stuck, it backs water up, which stops other wipes that aren’t breaking down, and creates a big jam of water, that now when somebody flushes the toilet, there’s no place for it to go, except up into a bathtub or outside a toilet,” he said.
Streets also wants to remind people amid the pandemic that tap water is perfectly safe to drink, and there’s no need to stockpile bottled water.
“What people don’t realize is our job is to make sure those essential services as a municipality are provided regardless of the circumstances,” he said.
Continued Coronavirus Coverage
