Flushed wipes caused 1,200 gallons of sewage overflow in Raleigh

The City of Raleigh is urging residents to stop flushing wipes down the toilet following a sewage overflow.

Posted 4:34 p.m. Nov 13, 2018 — Updated 4:57 p.m. Nov 13, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. — The City of Raleigh is urging residents to stop flushing wipes down the toilet following a sewage overflow.

Utility crews were notified of the sanitary sewer overflow at 8500 New Brunswick Lane on Monday at 7:30 a.m. According to officials, a customer called to report sewage overflowing from a manhole in front of an apartment building.

Should I Flush It? Most Often, the Answer Is No

Officials said the spill was stopped by 10:30 a.m. and the area had been cleaned by 3 p.m. The overflow volume was estimated to be 1,200 gallons, which was released into Mine Creek via an adjacent storm drain.

A press release said no fish were killed as a result of the overflow.

The spill occurred because wipes were flushed down the toilet, according to officials.

Some toilet paper brands advertise flushable wipes, but a Consumer Reports study found that some wipes advertised as "flushable" took at least 10 minutes to break down in water while some did not break down at all.

A press release on Tuesday reminded the public that "only water, human waste and toilet tissue are permitted to be discharged into the sewer system."

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