City of Pembroke Urging Residents to Not Flush Trash

The City of Pembroke is urging those who use their sewer systems to not use it like a trash can.

The city says that most water from their systems gets treated by their Pollution Control Center. But they also say that everyday items like hygiene products, wipes and waste should not get flushed or poured down the system. The city says that their sanitation system is not designed to dispose of anything except human waste, toilet paper, and wastewater. They say that flushing materials can cause damages to your home plumbing, cause basement flooding, increase the operation costs of the city, lessen the lifespan of city equipment and harm the environment.

The city says to not flush hygiene products, cleaning rags, cotton wipes, fat, oils or grease. They say to remember to return your pharmaceuticals to the pharmacy when outdated and not flush them. They also say to not flush household hazardous waste such as paint, pesticides and cleaning products. They say that dental floss especially can wrap itself around pump shafts and cause equipment to fail. The city also says to not flush any sort of wipe, saying even those labelled as flushable can cause a problem because they don’t break down like toilet paper.