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Council warned flushable wipes are clogging wastewater plant aerators
Summary
The town manager reported that new circular aerators at the wastewater plant are clogging—likely from flushable wipes—creating recurring maintenance demands; town staff said cleaning the units is a one-day operation but is consuming operator time.
During the town-manager update, the council was briefed on recurring problems at the wastewater plant. The manager described that the plant’s new circular aerators are clogging and that operators have been cleaning them frequently.
"I think what's happening is the aerators are clogging fairly regularly ... with flushable wipes," the town manager said, adding that the buildup appears to be vacuumed from the pond bottom and that cleaning can be a daylong task that requires equipment and staff time.
Councilors asked how long cleanup requires; the manager said removing and redeploying units can take at least a day and may require a backhoe. He said the issue has not produced an EPA violation or a service interruption to residents so far, but it is using staff time and resources. No formal action was taken; the council was informed and will continue to monitor plant operations.
