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PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Whether it’s visiting the supermarket or a drugstore, it’s not hard to find flushable wipes.
Despite the name, local cities are warning people not to flush these products, including Pinellas Park.
Utilities Public Works Manager James King said flushable wipes are creating a headache for the city.
What You Need To Know
- Pinellas Park said flushable wipes are causing issues for their city
- Multiple other cities in Pinellas County said flushable wipes are causing problems and encourage residents not to flush them
- A bill called the WIPPES Act has passed the U.S. House and would require wipes to be labeled with the phrase Do Not Flush
“The wipes are either going to get stuck in the infrastructure of the gravity mains, the force mains, the pumps which are located down here or inside of our check valves that are in this dry side over here,” he said.
Sewer Foreman Kyle Carter said the work can be tedious, but it’s needed to keep their systems running.
If they didn’t do this, there could be significant damage.
There are around 100 locations around the city that the team has to keep an eye on.
Carter said removing the gunk is not the best use of their time, but they have to dedicate time because of how quickly it gathers.
“We have two stations in our city that we go to every single day, sometimes twice a day when it calls because it’s backed up from flushable wipes getting caught in the pipes,” Carter said.
This isn’t just a Florida issue.
A bill called the WIPPES Act has already passed the U.S. House, and if signed into law, it would require wipes to be labeled with the phrase do not flush.
King said he hopes the legislation passes so that no one is confused by how the wipes are advertised.
Spectrum Bay News 9 also reached out to other cities in Pinellas County to find out if they have issues with flushable wipes.
Clearwater said, “Flushable wipes do not break down in the sewage system like toilet paper.”
Largo said, “Our team has had to install special cutting equipment in some pumps and spend extra time pulling pumps out of service to clean them by hand.”
Gulfport said, “They can cause plumbing issues in residential homes where they may clump together, causing blockages and costly repairs.”
However, St. Petersburg said, “Flushable wipes/rags tend not to be the singular problem within the system when an issue arises. However, the City has found that pumps have to be taken out of service and removed weekly at various lift stations throughout the City so they can be de-ragged.”
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Matt Lackritz
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