The City of Sedalia issued the following statement about the sewer system on Friday:

"As our community works to sanitize our homes and businesses due to the Coronavirus and Covid-19, the Public Works Department wants to remind residents that disinfecting wipes and paper towels need to be disposed of along with household garbage and are not to be flushed down the toilet.

Nylon wipes and paper towels are stronger than toilet paper and do not break down in water in the same manner. Flushing them can quickly cause clogs, wreaking havoc on sewer systems and treatment plant pumps and resulting in spills that end up in lakes, rivers and streams, according to the Water Pollution Control Division of the Public Works Department.

On Thursday evening, March 19, the City’s Thompson Meadows Lift Station was inundated with disinfecting wipes clogging the pumps at the lift station.

Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Even wipes labeled flushable will clog pipes and interfere with sewage collection and treatment.

We appreciate your assistance as we work to provide sewer service for our citizens. If you have any questions or concerns about sewer service or appropriate disposal of materials, please call Public Works at (660) 827-3000, ext. 1166."

More From AM 1050 KSIS