Sparta’s Mayberry Street Sewer Lift Station set to install a new sewer grinder system to collect debris, rags and flushable wipes
Superintendent of Sewer Michael Davis said the project aims to keep trash out of the treatment process to improve the environment. Davis said the system will specifically target items, like flushable wipes, that stop pumps and cause downtime for the treatment plant.
“Just cause it says flushable doesn’t mean it is,” Davis said. “It effects it… When it goes out of your house or business, it doesn’t stop there, you know? It’s a process to get it back into the river down there and, just don’t… just cause it says flushable doesn’t mean it flushes.”
Even with the new grinder, Davis said residents should still place wipes in the trash instead of flushing them to avoid contributing to the problem.
“Mostly wipes,” Davis said. “Flushable wipes have been an ongoing problem for us, so hopefully it’s gonna curb a lot of that and other debris.”
Davis said the project is funded by a $1.7 million dollar grant. Davis said the work is expected to begin in November after facing delays related to engineering and equipment procurement, and will be significantly improve operations at the sewer plant.
“(The) downtime and, you know, having to pull pumps, having to send pumps off because of, you know, burned up pumps because they’re stopped up, you know? So hopefully it’s gonna help us out quite a bit,” Davis said.
Davis said the grinder will also remove rags and other debris along with the wipes that do not break down in the system. Davis said the accumulation of trash in the sewer system creates a difficult process for returning water to the river.