Blackstone officials blame non‑flushable wipes and grease for sewer blockages; pump repair costs doubled

Jimmy Sullivan, the Town of Blackstone Department of Public Works superintendent and water/sewer superintendent, reported a series of costly sewer problems at the April 10 Water Sewer Commission meeting and urged residents not to flush wipes or pour grease down drains.

Sullivan said crews found large grease blockages under the river on Main Street and a separate blockage caused by wipes in the sewer line that led to a pump becoming jammed. He told the commission the pump cost rose from an earlier estimate of about $8,000 to roughly $16,000 after the jam. "They are not flushable wipes. No matter what it says on the package, it does not deteriorate," Sullivan said, describing how wipes wrap around pumps and cause failures.

He warned that repeated incidents increase manpower and equipment costs — including pump trucks and crane work — and that the department may need to hold a hearing to raise sewage rates if the problem continues. "All it's gonna do is increase the sewage rates... we're gonna have to have a hearing and increase it if this continues," Sullivan said.

Commissioners and staff discussed sources of grease, grease‑trap maintenance at restaurants and private properties, and local permitting that requires documentation of grease‑trap cleaning for annual permits. Sullivan also noted that some monitoring and treatment in nearby Woonsocket uses additives to keep wastes liquid before settling basins, but Blackstone does not currently have that capability.

Officials urged residents to avoid disposing of wipes, eggshells, coffee grounds and cooking grease via sinks and disposals and to follow grease‑trap permit requirements at food establishments to reduce blockages and costs.