Prince George grapples with costly sewer clogs

It's not quite on the scale of London's fabled fatbergs,but Prince George, B.C.'s sewer clogs are becoming bad enough that the city is rewriting its bylaws in an attempt to stop people and businesses from flushing hazardous and pipe-clogging material down the drains.

Prince George's almost 700 kilometres of sewer pipes routinely clog, leading to 500 annual service calls that cost taxpayers $420,000 annually.

According to JulieShrimptonof the Prince George public works department,the biggest clog culpritsare fats, oil and grease.

"We actually have a crew in utility operations who go out on what they call the grease run...removing greasefrom known areas of accumulation, sometimes on a weekly basis," she said.

Shrimptonsays the problem is exacerbated by"unflushables," things likedental floss, sanitary napkins and wipes that peopleputdown toilets.

There's also a problem with flammable and dangerous liquids ending up in the sanitary sewer system, she said. Prince George's treated waste water is discharged into the Fraser River and other creeks and streams.

Shrimptonsays updating the sewer bylawswill help clarify what items and substances should never be flushed or put down the drain.

Residents of the city are invited to fill out an online surveyabout the bylaw until Feb. 15.