Category Archives: Flow Free

Flow Free, What's Going On?

But it says "flushable."

So, you’ve run out of toilet paper and resorted to only using wipes. But it’s okay because you are using “flushable” wipes, right? Nope!

Unfortunately, the word “flushable” doesn’t mean what you think it means…

Flushable wipes do not break down

Toilet paper is specifically made to break down as it travels to the wastewater treatment plant and is the only paper product that should be flushed down the toilet. This means that your wastewater can Flow Free to your local wastewater treatment plant.

Here are some other items that are technically “flushable”:

Technically anything is flushable, but that doesn’t mean you are going to flush your ring or iPhone down the toilet. The same should be said for wipes.

All of the above items, including wipes, do not break down as they travel from your home to our wastewater treatment plant. They get caught up with roots, grease and other items that don’t belong in the sewer and cause blockages. The blockage may happen in your home which could cause sewage to back up into your home (blech) or the blockage can happen farther down the line and cause a sanitary sewer overflow in your neighborhood or stream.

This doesn’t even include the cost of blockages at lift stations. Clogs in pumps and valves lead to higher run times, increased power costs and increased maintenance trips. Crews also have to pull the pumps apart to clear the blockage, and on rare occasions, wipes can even damage the pumping equipment, causing even higher costs to ratepayers.

Overflows are more than inconvenient and nasty. They are also expensive.

Responding to and cleaning up an overflow costs the utility an average of $5,000!

The photo above shows actual wipes that got caught in our lift station and had to be removed by hand. Yuck!

The take home:

Toilet paper is specifically made to break down as it travels to the wastewater treatment plant and is the only paper product that should be flushed down the toilet. This means that your wastewater can Flow Free to your local wastewater treatment plant.

To learn more about how to protect your pipes, visit our website.

Flow Free, What's Going On?

Award-Winning Utility: The Pipes Hate Wipes Campaign

After discovering that 40% of Charlotte’s sanitary sewer overflows were being caused by debris including wipes, we knew something needed to be done. That’s when the idea for the campaign was born.

Earlier this year, the “Pipes Hate Wipes” campaign was created in an effort to make our growing community aware of a serious issue that is not always fun to talk about, but really needed to be addressed. After seeing that the majority cause of sanitary sewer spills shifted from grease to debris that largely included wipes, Charlotte Water felt that an educational campaign was needed before the issue continued to “build up”.

Following months of planning, we partnered with a local production company to produce seven commercials in well-known areas all around the Queen City – including the airport, Belk Theatre, a Hornets game, and the French Quarter in uptown, just to name a few. The inspired idea behind the commercials, was to have the pipe and wipe get into arguments, and even “break up” with each other, out in public for everyone to see.

After a successful launch, the campaign reached thousands across the region through media recognition from local news stations, social media influencers, and billboards.

Following all of the success came the recognition – the campaign won a total of three awards throughout 2019!

Overall, 10% of the Mecklenburg County population was reached through the campaign, and based on their response, it was clear that residents were shocked to see the damage that these wipes were causing. They really had no clue that these so-called “flushable” wipes are not so kind to our pipes.

As for the future of the campaign, we are focusing on targeting areas with a high number of spills, and continuing to advertise the campaign and the “Flow Free” message. As always, we are continuing to monitor the number of spills, and the impact that our message is having on those numbers. Help us spread the word – pipes hate wipes!

Flow Free, What's Going On?

Wipes Are Out. But What About TP Sprays?

You’ve all seen our newest Pipes Hate Wipes Campaign right? Just in case you haven’t, here is one of the hilarious videos.

 

Ok, so you now know that “flushable” wipes are out. But we received a great question about wipe alternatives on Facebook.

FBQuestion

So we asked one of the experts. Henry Eudy is the Plant Manager for the Mallard Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is one of five wastewater treatment plants in Mecklenburg County and treats about 9.6 million gallons of wastewater everyday.

Photo-HenryEudy
Henry Eudy, Plant Manager

Here is what he said:

“Well, to be honest, this is a new one on me. I guess I’m not totally up on the advents of wiping technology but this seems like a pretty good idea! The spray is applied directly to the toilet paper so the difficulty in breaking down the dense fabric wipes is bypassed. The sprays I looked at were derived from natural sources and contained oils and fragrances that would not cause an issue with the treatment system so far as I could tell.

I didn’t specifically see any sprays that were anti-bacterial but that would be something to keep in mind. Because the treatment system works primarily through beneficial bacteria, products designed to kill and eliminate harmful bacteria can often have the unintended effect of wiping out the good guys too. Even so, likely a spray of this sort would be of a small enough concentration that it probably would not affect the system. So, yeah, these sprays sound OK to me.”

So Yasmine and others, you heard it from us first, don’t flush those wipes. And if you just need a little extra for that tushy, sprays won’t harm the wastewater treatment process.

Flow Free, What's Going On?

Keep Your Pipes Flowing Free

Did you know cooking grease, fats, and oils being poured down drains are a major cause of residential sanitary sewer spills resulting in unsightly, smelly, and costly messes?

Oils and grease are wastes that the city’s sewer system cannot handle and should not be discarded down the drain. Grease, fats, and oils will clog sewer lines (the same way bad cholesterol can clog heart arteries), causing sewage back-ups and flooding. Sewage back-ups can damage personal and public property.

Spills also affect your water bill. Charlotte Water responds to more than 200 spills a year caused by grease clogging sewer pipes. Charlotte Water inspects and clears sewer pipes to prevent spills but we can’t do this without your help.

Drain excess grease or cooking oil into a can, cool and toss. Wipe any leftover grease from the pan with a paper towel and throw the paper towel away.

The same goes for our toilets. If you flush items down the toilet that don’t belong there, you are inviting clogs and overflows. Even products labeled as “flushable” do not decompose in the sewer system and can contribute to clogging. Don’t flush paper towels, wipes, hair, cotton swabs, feminine products or dental floss. Only put toilet paper down the toilet.