It鈥檚 a dirty job, but somebody had to do it.
So Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps stepped to the microphone Wednesday and reminded people to stop flushing disinfecting wipes聽down the toilet, because they鈥檙e clogging the sewage system.
鈥淲hile the premier and the prime minister get to stand up and make glamorous announcements about fiscal packages and stimulus packages and support for renters and other important measures, what I get to stand up today and tell you about our toilets,鈥� Helps said at her daily briefing on the COVID-19 outbreak.
The mayor said she understands that people are trying to protect themselves by practising proper hygiene. But her message was clear: 鈥淒o not flush any type of wipe, except toilet paper, down the toilet.鈥�
Helps said disinfecting wipes 鈥� including those marked 鈥渇lushable鈥� 鈥� should be tossed in the garbage.
鈥淢any products that are advertised as flushable, aren鈥檛 really flushable,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd, again, we鈥檙e starting to see a little bit of a clog-up.
鈥淎s a city, we鈥檙e dealing with this pandemic and the last thing we need to see is backed up sewer systems creating unsanitary conditions that could spread the COVID-19 disease further.鈥�
Other municipalities have issued similar pleas in recent days. Esquimalt warned that 鈥渇lushable鈥� wipes can clog pumps and pose a significant risk to the sewage system.
鈥淲ith individuals and families doing their part by staying home, our systems are seeing a spike in use,鈥� Jeff Miller, Esquimalt鈥檚 director of engineering and public works, said in a statement.
鈥淲e need to be mindful of how we鈥檙e treating the township鈥檚 assets.鈥�
