Fayetteville says don’t flush non-flushables

Everyone today knows that toilet paper around the U.S. has been purchased at an apocalyptic pace. But that is not stopping some people from flushing items never intended to end up in the sewer system. Addressing this latter-day phenomenon, the Fayetteville sewer system is asking people to refrain from flushing items that are not intended to be flushed, items that can clog the system.

Fayetteville Public Services Director Chris Hindman on March 26 said the sanitary sewer system is experiencing an increase in non-flushable items entering the sewer system.

While noting that the city encourages increased sanitation measures during COVID-19, Hindman urged residents to throw non-flushable items in waste containers rather than in the toilet.

Citing the types of items that should not be flushed, Hindman said those include products such as disinfecting wipes, “flushable” wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, feminine products and toilet paper substitutes.

Though a paper product’s labeling may claim it is flushable, we highly recommend that the public dispose of everything except toilet paper in the waste bin, Hindman said.

Hindman said the system is seeing a larger volume of solids, which also includes sand and sedimentation, which can be accounted for due to recent heavy rains.

Taking a “better safe than sorry” approach and putting out the word as precautionary, Hindman said he does not want Fayetteville to experience the problems being seen in other counties.