Alaska city says flushable wipes a real drain

[May 01, 2009]  SITKA, Alaska (AP) -- Sitka officials are asking residents not to flush the so-called flushable wipes down the toilet.

The city has had to divert wastewater workers away from regular duties to untangle messes in sewer machinery. The wipes can clog and sometimes disable lift station pumps in town and at the treatment plant, requiring some equipment to have to be pulled and cleaned.

City Environmental Superintendent Mark Buggins said his workers have been four or five times as busy in recent months removing baby wipes and a towel product that markets itself as "flushable."

Buggins said "it's a real drain" on manpower.

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Information from: Daily Sitka Sentinel, http://www.sitkasentinel.com/

[Associated Press]

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