Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wastewater staff warn that flushable wipes are clogging Bullhead City pumps, raising repair costs
Summary
A wastewater division employee displayed debris removed from sewer equipment and said wipes and other non-flushable items are causing pump failures that cost roughly $40,000 per pump to replace.
A representative of Bullhead City’s wastewater division warned residents that many items flushed down household drains are damaging city pumps and causing avoidable costs. "There are only 3 things that should be disposed of in the sewer system. 1, human waste. 2, toilet paper. And 3, gray water," said John Trequato of the wastewater division.
Trequato showed examples of clumped material in the system and listed common items found at the drying bed and in pump intakes: baby wipes, disposable wipes, plastic bags, razors, pencils, candy wrappers, screws, pieces of styrofoam and tampon plastic applicators. He said the city has had to replace pumps "about $40,000 a piece, just about every year" because of damage from non‑flushable items.
The wastewater representative asked residents not to flush disposable wipes, paper towels, napkins or other products, and said those items should be placed in the trash. Trequato described the labor and equipment costs of diagnosing and pulling pumps and noted that the city sometimes must send damaged pumps out for repair or replacement.
