What’s Clogging Our Sewer System?

MEMPHIS, TN (August 13, 2020) – Flushing wipes, paper towels, and similar products down toilets can clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at private homes, businesses, or wastewater collection and treatment facilities, creating a public health risk. Although labeled ‘flushable’ or ‘septic safe,’ wipes do not break down the same way as toilet paper. Toilet paper can biodegrade very quickly. However, when wipes are flushed, they can collect on other unwanted material within the sewer system like debris and grease deposits, which creates a dam that grows in size until it fully clogs the pipes. These clogs put stress on the City’s waste water collection and treatment systems, causing premature equipment repair, replacement, or sanitary sewer overflows. They can even lead to backups into homes. Clogs and backups are becoming more prevalent as ‘flushable’ wipes use increases. Luckily, there is a simple solution – throw them in the trash.

The City of Memphis Storm Water Department encourages everyone to dispose of wipes (flushable, disposable, wet, disinfectant), paper towels, and napkins into the trash to help prevent blockages that can result in sewage overflow in our homes and onto our streets. The sewage is not only a health hazard to the neighborhood, but it can also enter the City’s storm water drainage system. Storm water runoff (rainwater) that enters our storm water drainage systems discharges into nearby lakes, rivers, or streams. These in turn carry the water to the Mississippi River and McKellar Lake. Sewage transported by storm water poses a threat to fish and other aquatic life in these water bodies.

Please! Be proud of your City! Help keep our waterways clean and beautiful.

For more information, please visit our website at MemphisStormWater.com or contact the City’s Storm Water Department at 901-636-4349