CHRISTIANSBURG, VA. – Fans of flushable wipes may reconsider using them after seeing this picture.
The town of Christiansburg posted a picture Monday of the flushable wipes that have been caught during a recent cleaning at its wastewater treatment facility.
This image was taken at the Town's Wastewater Treatment Facility. The bar screen is cleaned out twice a day, so this is...
Posted by Town of Christiansburg, VA on Monday, March 30, 2020
The town said that its bar screen is cleaned out twice a day, so the picture shows how many wipes were captured in just 12 hours.
What the picture shows are only the wipes that were caught, as many more were processed before the system was overloaded, according to the post.
Wipes can clog the town’s sewer system but can also cause harm to people’s pipes. While they may be labeled as “flushable” the post explains that they stay durable through plumbing and sewer systems.
When someone flushes a wipe, the post compares it to flushing a piece of cloth.
Like cloth, wipes can get snagged on grease and form clogs in the systems, which can lead to pipe bursts, overflows and damage to the town’s equipment.
Christiansburg isn’t the only area asking for this, Lynchburg has also posted about this issue.
Here's what happens when we flush things we shouldn't: This sewer overflow into a creek is the result of grease & wipes in the sewer line. Those are rags & wipes in the water and sewage coming out of the system. Remember, only the 3Ps down the toilet! #toiletsarenottrashcans
Posted by Lynchburg Water Resources on Tuesday, March 24, 2020