Public works department makes plea to keep wipes out of toilets

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    SOUTH WINDSOR, CT (WFSB) — Public works employees in South Windsor made a plea to people on Tuesday to not flush items like wipes down their toilets.

Town of South Windsor Public Works reported a significant increase in clogged pumps at its pump stations.

“Clogged pumps can lead to backups into homes,” it posted to social media. “We don’t want or need that to happen.”

“It was a little overwhelming yesterday. We had four pump stations with blockages,” said Tony Manfre, superintendent of Pollution Control.

“On a regular Tuesday, we’d go through all 11 stations and be done in one day with our checks, yesterday we got to a total of 5 stations because I asked them to prioritize the 4 stations that were blocked up and it took them all day,” said Jeff LeMay, treatment plant supervisor for the town of South Windsor.

When one of the stations backs up, the system trips, and it stops working, and what’s in there could wind up in your house.

Toilet paper is designed to break up with water in the sewer system. Disinfectant wipes are not.

“Because people are cleaning up their houses with sanitary wipes and throwing them down the toilet because that’s the easiest way to get rid of them, but it’s starting to build up in the system now,” said Jacob Plona, lead operator.

As for paper towels, they don’t break up either.

As people continue cleaning more often using wipes and flushing them down the toilet, resources at the Department of Public Works will be tied up.

“It stops us from being able to do our main work which is at the treatment plant which is especially critical right now in light of what’s going on,” LeMay said

Instead, people are urged to throw wipes and paper towels in the trash.

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