As part of our responsibility to the community during this time of pandemic, the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District is reminding all residents to only flush toilet paper and to avoid flushing wet wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products and wrappers down the toilet and instead urges residents to dispose of these items in the trash.
Wipes especially are often advertised as “flushable” by manufacturers for sales purposes, have consistently been found to create blockages in both individual household sewer lines and the wastewater treatment plant’s infrastructure.
The majority of wastewater that flows through the District’s sewer system reaches the treatment facility in a matter of hours. Wipes can take days or weeks to breakdown and can clog the homeowners’ and District’s sewer lines in the process. The GNWPCD is experiencing an influx of these non-flushable items into the system, which could lead to potentially hazardous effects including sanitary sewer backups into homes and street overflows.
The GNWPCD has proactively put out a public service announcement, where District Superintendent Christopher Murphy explains the misleading name and problems flushable wipes can cause to both a household’s lines and the wastewater treatment plant. The video is on the District’s website and also airs consistently on the North Shore Television Network on Mondays and Fridays during March and April around 6:30 p.m.
For additional information and updates about the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, visit the website at www.gnwpcd.net to sign up for email newsletters or call the office at 516-482-0238.
