A blockage caused by flushable wipes almost shut down the Keiser sewer system earlier this month.
Mayor Rick Creecy said workers noticed the clog on June 16 during a routine inspection. They spent hours, trying to unclog it, with no success.
The city of 750 people in Mississippi County had to install a bypass system for use over the weekend along with encouraging residents to conserve any water going into the sewage system.
"The citizens really stepped up to the plate," Creecy said Monday morning. "That entire weekend I did not get one complaint of someone being unable to flush their toilet."
He said no one was prevented from flushing by the clog, but they came close. Workers were manning the bypass from around 4 a.m. June 18 until 2:30 a.m. June 19, and then again on June 19 from 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Contractors dug out a 5-gallon bucket worth of flushable wipes that were blocking the system, according to Creecy.
"We've been flowing ever since," he said.
He warned against the use of flushable wipes as they take longer to disintegrate than toilet paper. Creecy also said plastic items and floss can shut down the sewer system.
"People don't understand how even mopping and pouring the water down the toilet can collect those little mop strings over time," Creecy said, "but items like that along with string, plastic, floss and feminine products can wreak havoc on a sewer system."
However, the mayor said he's been looking into replacing or repairing the sewer system, as it has clay pipes that are vulnerable to tree roots.
"[The roots] will seek that moisture out," Creecy said, "Whereas with PVC pipes, there would need to be an actual break for tree roots to get inside."
The mayor estimates an upgrade to Keiser's sewer system would cost about $3.5 million.
"We are aggressively going after grant money," Creecy said.
He said he is hopeful grants will cover the majority cost of the project. The U.S. Department of Agriculture may be able to assist with another loan if Keiser cannot get enough grants. Creecy said the city already has two unrelated loans with the department.
Creecy said a last resort would be letting the department conduct a water study, which risks a price increase for customers using water in the city.
According to him, contractors are to televise the sewage lines soon.
Televising is a process that involves a robot with a camera that will be used to travel through all the pipes, photographing and mapping points where damage is located or where tree roots may be invading.
"A perk of televising the pipes means the sewers will be cleaned as well," said Creecy.
Creecy said the amount of damage will define the timeline the city is working on. If there is a little damage, then the repairs might be spread out over several years compared with a one-, three-, or five-year timeline.
According to Creecy, this project is important because in just a few months Keiser has had two blockages of the sewage system.
"Recently we had a limb fall on a lift station that put it out of business," he said.
The damaged sewer pump only served two neighborhoods, unlike the flushable wipes clog, which backed up the entire city.
Keiser contractors plan to open bids for televising the pipes by July, and the mayor said he is hopeful that work could begin by August or September but predicts it will be done by the end of the year.