Baby Wipes Cause Of 2,419 Gallon Sewage Spill Into Tributary

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA — The City of Peachtree Corners is warning the public that toliets are not trash cans and baby-wipe-type products caused a major sewage spill.

On Monday a Peachtree Corners neighborhood had a sewage spill from a manhole that resulted in 2,419 gallons of raw sewage spilling into a tributary that flows to the Chattahoochee River. The primary cause — baby wipes and other similar products.

Remember, the city told residents in an email, toilets are not trash cans! There are only three things that are to be flushed down a toilet:

1. water
2. toilet paper
3. human waste

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According to the City of Peachtree Corners, some products labeled as "flushable" do not disperse or break apart once they are in the sanitary sewer system — the result — blockages that leads to sewer backups, clogged pipes, tangled pumps and messy sewer backups into creeks, streets and homes.

A recent consumer report illustrates how items listed as "flushable" do not break down, which is a main contributor to not only outdoor sewer spills but can cause backups in your home as well.

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