A clog removed from a sewage treatment plant in Park City, Mont. While Seeley Lake does not have a sewage treatment facility, homeowners and renters are reminded that flushing anything other that toilet paper into a septic tank can also cause plugs and damage the drain field.
SEELEY LAKE – During this time of toilet paper shortages across the country, local owner of Rockn-B Septics Norman Bernstrauch reminds those on septic systems to put used handi wipes, disinfectant wipes and paper towels in the trash. Flushing them down the toilet can result in clogs in their septic system and, in worse case scenarios, can require homeowners to replace their entire drain field.
Bernstrauch has owned Rockn' B Septic for the past seven years. In his tenure he has had several customers that flushed handi wipes because the product claims they are flushable.
Bernstrauch explained that toilet paper is designed to sink to the bottom of the holding tank and decompose. Handi wipes and paper towels are designed to be absorbent for cleaning and stay intact when wet. When they are flushed, they don't decompose like toilet paper and can plug the pipes and damage septic systems.
Bernstrauch said handi wipes also float on top in a septic tank. If they get past the filter and under the baffle, they can float out into the drain field and plug the perforated pipe preventing infiltration. If the drain field becomes plugged the only solution is to replace it, a very costly solution to a preventable problem.
"If they are going to use those handi wipes and, now that it is hard to get toilet paper, paper towels, they need to put them in the garbage or burn them," said Bernstrauch.
Bernstrauch said when he lifts the lid on the septic tank, he can tell if something is plugged because the water level is higher than normal. Once he cleans the filter, the water level should go back to normal. If it doesn't, that is an indicator that the drain field is plugged. This requires the drain field to be dug up and replaced, a costly solution to a preventable problem.
While Bernstrauch has not been doing a lot of pumping yet this season, he expects to see more issues this year due to the toilet paper shortage and increased use of disinfectant wipes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also encouraging all Americans to only flush toilet paper. Flushing disinfecting wipes, baby wipes and paper towels can clog toilets and/or create sewage backups into a home or neighborhood and can also cause significant damage to pipes, pumps and other wastewater treatment equipment at local sewer treatment facilities. Sewer backups for central wastewater treatment facilities can be a threat to public health and present a challenge to area water utilities by diverting resources away from the essential work being done to treat and manage wastewater.
Reader Comments(0)