The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority on Wednesday reminded residents to only flush toilet paper down the drain. "Do not flush disinfecting wipes nor other non- flushable items," the authority said in a release, a message that comes amid the coronavirus pandemic and as residents are under stay-at-home orders.
Additionally, WMA said residents should always dispose of non-flushable items in the trash. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization continues to encourage disinfecting surfaces in your home and workplace to prevent the spread of COVID-19, WMA said residents should never flush disinfecting or other wipes down the toilet. "Disinfecting surfaces will prevent the spread of COVID and placing used wipes in the trash shall keep the Virgin Islands wastewater collection systems free from blockages," WMA said.
Toilet and sewer backups are an environmental hazard and can pose a threat to human health. The authority said backups and overflows onto our public streets are a challenge to its employees. Baby wipes, food, hair, grease and oil; these items can damage your homes’ internal plumbing and septic systems along with the territory’s sewer lines, wastewater pump stations and treatment facilities. Addressing these backups and overflows cost the authority up to a half-million dollars annually, as well as diverts resources away from preventative maintenance, WMA said.
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