Winona Urges ‘No Wipes In Pipes’
April 18, 2018 at 7:56 p.m.
WINONA LAKE – When Winona Lake residents put diapers, rags or feminine hygiene products down the toilet, they’re costing the town thousands of dollars in repairs.
Utility Superintendent Tom Miller on Tuesday showed the town council a photo of those items wrapped around an impeller on a sanitary sewer pump.
“As you can see ... it’s kind of wrapped around the impeller and it burns the pumps up,” he said pointing at the photo.
Miller said the sanitary sewer department had three pumps burn up in one weekend because of people putting the wrong things down the toilet.
Each pump costs $5,600 for a new one, but $4,300 to rebuild one. “But why would you rebuild one?” he said. To replace three pumps costs $16,800, and that’s in just one weekend.
“And when we have high water and rain, that’s a problem. Now you’re running on one pump and it gets a little hairy. We haven’t put any sewage on the ground,” he said.
Miller passed out a flyer with “No Wipes Down the Pipes” across the top. It says, “Even if a product says it is ‘flushable, unless it is toilet paper, it should not be flushed!”
Items that should not be flushed include diapers (including cloth, cotton, disposable or plastic); flushable, disposable, cleaning or baby wipes; paper towels, cloth towels or any type of rag; feminine hygiene products; and facial tissues. These items should go in a trash can.
Fines and even the elimination of service are possible for those who put such items into the sewers, according to the town’s sewer use ordinance.
Miller also reported that he’s had issues with the new guardrail on the greenway over the past year.
“It’s eroded. The whole stretch of it is eroded to the point where we could potentially lose that fence,” he said.
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His proposal is to build up the back side, use larger stones for the foundation and put in additional drainage.
He received one quote for $7,326 for the project, and is seeking a second quote, but asked the council to approve the work not to exceed the $7,326 and then he’ll go with the best price to get it fixed as soon as possible.
The council approved the work to be done at a cost no higher than the requested amount.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the Indiana Department of Transportation project coordination contract for the roundabout at the intersection of Winona Avenue, Argonne Road, Kings Highway and Park Avenue. It is an 80/20 project with INDOT, with INDOT paying 80 percent of the costs.
• Heard that “Egg’stravaganza!” will take place at 6 p.m. May 4 at Winona Lake Park. The event will include an Easter egg hunt and other activities to replace the Easter egg hunt that was canceled because of weather.
Other upcoming events will be the Joe’s Kids 5K at 9 a.m. May 5 at the park, and the bike festival May 18-20 in The Village at Winona.
• Approved Matt Goebel to serve on the park board, replacing Chad James, who resigned due to family obligations.
WINONA LAKE – When Winona Lake residents put diapers, rags or feminine hygiene products down the toilet, they’re costing the town thousands of dollars in repairs.
Utility Superintendent Tom Miller on Tuesday showed the town council a photo of those items wrapped around an impeller on a sanitary sewer pump.
“As you can see ... it’s kind of wrapped around the impeller and it burns the pumps up,” he said pointing at the photo.
Miller said the sanitary sewer department had three pumps burn up in one weekend because of people putting the wrong things down the toilet.
Each pump costs $5,600 for a new one, but $4,300 to rebuild one. “But why would you rebuild one?” he said. To replace three pumps costs $16,800, and that’s in just one weekend.
“And when we have high water and rain, that’s a problem. Now you’re running on one pump and it gets a little hairy. We haven’t put any sewage on the ground,” he said.
Miller passed out a flyer with “No Wipes Down the Pipes” across the top. It says, “Even if a product says it is ‘flushable, unless it is toilet paper, it should not be flushed!”
Items that should not be flushed include diapers (including cloth, cotton, disposable or plastic); flushable, disposable, cleaning or baby wipes; paper towels, cloth towels or any type of rag; feminine hygiene products; and facial tissues. These items should go in a trash can.
Fines and even the elimination of service are possible for those who put such items into the sewers, according to the town’s sewer use ordinance.
Miller also reported that he’s had issues with the new guardrail on the greenway over the past year.
“It’s eroded. The whole stretch of it is eroded to the point where we could potentially lose that fence,” he said.
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His proposal is to build up the back side, use larger stones for the foundation and put in additional drainage.
He received one quote for $7,326 for the project, and is seeking a second quote, but asked the council to approve the work not to exceed the $7,326 and then he’ll go with the best price to get it fixed as soon as possible.
The council approved the work to be done at a cost no higher than the requested amount.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the Indiana Department of Transportation project coordination contract for the roundabout at the intersection of Winona Avenue, Argonne Road, Kings Highway and Park Avenue. It is an 80/20 project with INDOT, with INDOT paying 80 percent of the costs.
• Heard that “Egg’stravaganza!” will take place at 6 p.m. May 4 at Winona Lake Park. The event will include an Easter egg hunt and other activities to replace the Easter egg hunt that was canceled because of weather.
Other upcoming events will be the Joe’s Kids 5K at 9 a.m. May 5 at the park, and the bike festival May 18-20 in The Village at Winona.
• Approved Matt Goebel to serve on the park board, replacing Chad James, who resigned due to family obligations.