Don't flush: 'Flushable' wipes doing damage to Fredericton sewers

The city of Fredericton is warning people to be aware of what can't be flushed and what can be. The biggest problem for the city's sewer system has been wipes.

Many of these wipes are labeled as flushable, but Neil Thomas said that is misleading. Thomas is the senior water and sewer engineer for the City of Fredericton. He gave a presentation to the city's Public Safety and Environment Committee Tuesday.

"That durability that makes them a great product makes it quite a challenge for Canadian municipalities, Fredericton included, since it does not behave like toilet paper once in the sewage collection and treatment systems," said Thomas.

Since these wipes don't break down, they can bunch together in the sewer system, causing overflows and clogged pumps.

Thomas said this problem started 10 years ago, and has only gotten worse.

The cost

This costs the city time and money, and Thomas said this problem has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Twice, the city has had to clean out tons of wipes from its lagoons, which costaround $40,000 each time

• Fredericton warns residents about flushing wipes

And as this continues to be a problem, the city is looking at equipping city facilities to screen out wipes and other products from reaching the city's treatment system. That would cost $400,000.

The fix

The solution is simple. The city wants people to stop flushing products other than toilet paper. But Thomas said the city has to work towards making sure everyone knows.

Councillor Stephen Chase is the chair of the Public Safety and Environment Committee. He said the city will make sure the public is better educated, but there is also some responsibility on the federal government.

"I think the federal government can play a role here, in helping manage the labeling information on packages," said Chase.

He echoed the words of Thomas, who said the label of flushable is misleading, since while the wipes can be flushed, they do wreak havoc on the sewer system after.

This isn't just a problem in Fredericton. Thomas said this is an issue that municipalities are facing around the world.