‘Flushable’ and disinfecting wipes are clogging Tri-Cities sewers and toilets

Tri-Citians may think they’re flushing away coronavirus worries. But those disinfecting wipes are starting another problem that could cost them thousands.

Kennewick, Richland and Pasco city officials are seeing an increase in wipes, and other items, going into the sewers in recent weeks.

Across the country people are picking up disinfectant wipes in an attempt to curb the coronavirus. The problem for sewer and septic systems is that people are flushing them rather than putting them in the trash.

In the Tri-Cities, they’re getting stuck inside sewer pumps, but they can cause sewage to back up into homes or streets. Even “flulshable” wipes shouldn’t be flushed down toilets, said the experts.

“It was a concern before the coronavirus,” said Steve Brewer, Richland’s wastewater manager. “But with the amount of disinfectant wipes people are using, it’s really just compounded the problem.”

Unlike toilet paper, which largely breaks down, Brewer said the binders inside the wipes are like glue. They catch grease and other materials and turn into a soggy mass that stops water from flowing.

In the worst cases for homeowners, the wipes, mixed with grease and tree roots can clog the 4-inch diameter pipe leading out of homes and to the sewer system, said Wade Bonds, an assistant utilities operations supervisor. That can cause the pipe to burst or back up.

Fixing those pipes can cost homeowners hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on how much of a yard and street needs to be torn up to reach it.

“It’s amazing how big these clogs can get with these wipes, because once one gets started it just keeps compounding,” Bond said. “We really are trying to get the public to understand that the only thing that really should go in the toilet is toilet paper.”

Cleaning out pumps.

While none of the cities have seen backups, the people working in Richland have been making more frequent trips to pumps across the city. These pumps are necessary for getting the wastewater to the city’s treatment plant.

“We’re having to double or triple our trips out there,” Brewer said.

The added work at the pumps is only the start of it.

When wastewater flows into the Tri-City’s wastewater treatment plants, the paper and plastic items that made it through the pipes must be removed first.

The wastewater flows through a set of metal screens connected in a chain that looks like a conveyor belt turned on its side. Both Richland and Kennewick have two of these machines, and only one is running at a time, and the other backs it up.

In Richland, Brewer needed to start running the second machine to clear all of the wipes and paper towels from the system.

Kennewick’s facility treats 5 million to 6 million gallons of wastewater daily and officials say they’ve seen about a 25% increase in debris since the coronavirus outbreak.

Pasco also has seen more stuff coming into its treatment plant that shouldn’t be.

“We are keeping a close eye on the lift stations and have stepped up the inspections and maintenance of those to stay ahead of the issue,” said Jon Funfar, a city spokesman.

Don’t flush it

The cities are constantly dealing with people putting wipes, paper towels and grease down their drains.

With the recent increases, all three cities are stepping up education efforts as they look more months of people using disinfectant wipes to counteract the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness.

If people would just throw the wipes in the trash, it would save the sewer systems a lot of wear, Brewer said.

“Nothing else breaks down in the water like toilet paper. If it says flushable that doesn’t mean you can flush it,” Bonds said. “If you ever want to test it, throw one in the water with some toilet paper and watch. It will stay in there for eons.”

All of the items pulled out of the sewers ends up in the garbage anyway, Brewer said. So people are just making more work, and potentially causing problems.

Pasco put together an public service announcement that they are running on social media and their public service channel.

This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 12:18 PM.