“Unflushables” are impacting your neighborhood
Welcome Old Plank Lift Station (OPLS) residents, we are in need of your help! People are treating their toilets like a trashcan, and it is hurting the ability to provide safe and reliable sewer service. Toilets are not trashcans!
Some OPLS sewer customers are improperly disposing of waste into the sewer system that is serving your neighborhood. Wipes (even those labelled “flushable” should not be flushed, as they can clog pipes) have been identified as the main culprit of “unflushables” in your neighborhood. Other unflushable materials, such as dental floss, feminine hygiene products, facial tissues, plastic, and cleaning rags are being flushed down the toilets. None of these materials belong in the sewer.
The sewer system serving your home or business has experienced significantly higher than normal alarms and pump blockages. These “unflushable” materials bundle together and create costly problems for the sewer system. These items can cause homeowner backups and hamper our ability to provide wastewater treatment services for your family and your neighbors, around the clock.
Additionally, the constant plugging causes damage to motors, equipment, and electronics, resulting in premature replacement of the system components.
Please remember to only flush the “3Ps” (Pee, Poop, and toilet Paper)! All other materials and waste belong in the trash. Please stop flushing these materials into the sewer system.
What is a “lift station”?
A “lift station” pumps sewage up into a larger sewer system, allowing wastewater in our service area to use gravity to flow to NEW Water’s facilities, where it is cleaned, and discharged into the Fox River. If the pumps are clogged with unflushables, then the sewage can back up into your home.
You may see NEW Water’s Field Services Team out and about in your neighborhood making sure that wastewater can make its way to NEW Water to be cleaned. They do this around the clock, so you can “flush and forget!” Learn more >>
Inflow & Infiltration
During wet weather events, NEW Water receives upwards of 3 – 5 times the normal amount of water coming through its system and into its facilities to be treated. And that’s not because people are flushing their toilets more frequently.
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What can I put down my kitchen sink?
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) enters the sanitary sewer through sinks, dishwashers, and other drains that are connected to your sanitary sewer pipes. FOG should not be poured down the kitchen sink, as they can cause clogged pipes, backups, and necessitate costly repairs.
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