How sewage wads are impacting the City of Kitchener's sewers

The City of Kitchener wants residents to make sure they're flushing the right things down the drain.

All too often wads of garbage flushed down the toilet end up blocking the sewer pumps.

“We see plastic bags, I've seen t-shirts, underwear, feminine products, lots of hair,” Justin Szusz, a sewer maintainer for pumping stations with the City of Kitchener said.

“This has been an ongoing issue, and it's no better or worse. It's just consistent. We're really trying to get the message out there to only put down the drain what belongs down there,” Nick Gollan, manager of Utility Planning and Programs, Sanitary and Stormwater for the City of Kitchener, said.

A wad of garbage found in a city sewer pump at the Woolner Pumping Station in Kitchener is seen on Oct. 16, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

There are 834 kilometres of sewage pipes in the city that flow to 23 various pumping stations. When residents flush or drain something, it travels through sewers and collects at the pumping stations. It’s then pumped uphill to a gravity sewer and drained to the wastewater treatment plant. Gollan said unclogging those pumps is a timely issue.

“Some of the main challenges that we have is the blockages of these pumps, which take two hours, several times per week to clean out. We also have 300 locations across the city where we get grease buildup, and that needs to be flushed out using specialized equipment in order to keep the sewers flowing freely,” Gollan said. “If these blockages aren't dealt with and addressed the sewer stop flowing, this can cause basement flooding and toilets backing up. So, it's really important not to flush inappropriate things into the sanitary system.”

The two main problem areas that often contribute to sewer issues are when residents pour grease down the kitchen drain and when the wrong thing is flushed down the toilet.

Justin Szusz opens a sewer pump at the Woolner Pumping Station in Kitchener on Oct. 16, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

How can you help?

The city said use a strainer in the kitchen sink and collect grease with a paper towel. When flushing the toilet, follow the three P's: only flush pee, poop and (toilet) paper.

“Flushable wipes do not break down when they're flowing through the sewer system. They're too robust. Toilet paper is really the only thing, the material falls apart in the sewer and doesn't cause any blockages,” Gollan said.

“Just don't flush your wipes and use your three P’s,” Szusz said.

It’s timely guidance, as the city has approved a comprehensive sanitary master plan looking at the entire sewer system and the impact on the city’s planned growth.

“What we don't know is the condition of 75 per cent of our trunk sewers and the force mains that leave these pumping stations. We'll be putting a lot of effort into collecting that information over the next year or two and determining what sort of investment needs to be made in the system to ensure that it keeps functioning properly,” Gollan said. “We could be looking at an additional 100,000 toilets in the city over the next 25 to 30 years. We need to plan for that and make sure the system is prepared to take on that additional flow.”