By: Donovan W. Mann – donovanm@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – The community is being reminded that certain items should not be flushed down the drain.
The Humboldt waste water treatment facility has been reporting to city officials that they have had an issue with non-flushable items going through their system. City Administrator Travis Goedken and Humboldt’s City Council alike remind the public of the importance of only flushing what is appropriate to flush.
Goedken says that what has passed through the waste water facility has caused a technical difficulty. He says the main lift system has a grinder pump that is meant to take these non-flushable items and grind them up to pass through the facility. The pump’s engine has failed because so much inappropriate material is passing through.
The primary culprit is flushable wipes which are not really flushable because they don’t break down in the treatment process. Goedken says that wipes aren’t the only problem though. The city’s water experts People Service has to clean a bar screen in front of the main lift station twice a day until the grinder pump is repaired. From that bar screen they are pulling out things like rags, t-shirts and underwear. Goedken says that “just because it goes down doesn’t mean that it’s not going to wreak havoc on the system.”
This issue has been discussed during multiple council meetings and council has been very outspoken about their desire to see the problem corrected by the community because ultimately everyone is paying for it. Goedken says “ultimately the cost, it’s all born by us the users.” Everyone in the city is attached to the system and pays the same base fee along with a usage fee. The water costs are meant to pay for themselves so when additional cost arise it is the users who ultimately have to pay for it.
The Humboldt City officials would like to remind the community to think before they flush to avoid future complications and costs to the waste water facility.
Features photo is of the bar screening at the waste water treatment facility in Humboldt and what People Services has cleaned out from a single cleaning.