Author: <span>Pam Geiser</span>

From our colleagues at Massachusetts Water Environment Association MAWEA:

We need your help to reach Massachusetts State Legislators by October 24th to urge them to act favorably and quickly on S.480 & H.805, an Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes.

With your help, we can get these bills moving forward. If legislators hear from you now, you will help these bills to get passed.

· First, send an email to JointCommittee.Environment@malegislature.gov. The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources is holding a public hearing on the Bills on October 25, 2023.
· Second, go to: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
· Find the names of your State Representative and Senator, based on where you live or work.
· Then, please send an individual email to your State Representative and State Senator.

A sample email to send to the Joint Committee and your State Legislators is below. If you feel the need to edit this to provide specific examples, please do! Thank you for your help on this important issue.

—

Dear Committee, or Representative, or Senator:

I am writing to ask you to support S.480 & H.805, an Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes. We are asking you to help bring it to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.

This bill would classify certain wipes, using wipes-industry standards, as “non-flushable.” S.480 & H.805 would mandate that those wipes that do not meet industry standards for dispersibility have prominent, mandatory “Do Not Flush” labeling, following the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) labeling guidelines. These bills include strong, specific language that has already become law in California.

Massachusetts sewers and collection systems face millions of dollars in annual avoidable costs for clogs, fouled pumps, and resulting sanitary sewer overflows. As the popularity of various wipes increases and users flush them, these costs will increase.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of wipes spiked, which also increased dangerous clogs, sewer overflows, and public health issues. Since the early 2000s, wipes have been aggressively marketed as a replacement for toilet paper, mops, cleaning brushes, and rags. This multi-billion-dollar industry has had disastrous impacts on local sewer and collection systems.

S.480 & H.805 targets only wipes and other products that are NOT flushable according to industry standards. Unlike toilet paper, these wipes are not “dispersible” in sewers. Clogs and fouling from flushed wipes cost sewer operators in Massachusetts nearly $10 million annually. Many baby wipes and other non-flushable wipe products are made of plastic, not wood pulp. Wipes should be properly and clearly labeled so that consumers know they should not be flushed.

While Massachusetts is receiving additional federal funding to help our aging wastewater systems, passage of S.480 & H.805 will help us to direct the funding to major projects we’ve needed to build for years. We need to target the funding. We would rather not spend new funding on resolving clogs and replacing pumps and pipes damaged by wipes.

If you have any questions, my contact info is below.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Name
Org
Work email or home email
A good daytime phone to verify

Our wastewater treatment plant is located along Salem Sound, right on the water near Winter Island. Current campers from the island and Salem residents who own RVs may access our RV Disposal Station with an incredible ocean view. Unfortunately, some people who dump here may accidentally spill their RV waste which could flow directly into Salem Sound through the rainwater-only storm drain located nearby.

We wanted to try a new approach to encourage better behavior through education and outreach. On August 17, 2023, an intern of the Salem Sound Coastwatch, Sophia Butusova, joined SESD in our effort to protect our storm drain from unauthorized dumping. Sophia designed and painted the mural seen here, with “Drains to Ocean” written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Mixing our classic witch city theme with environmental protection, we hope to garner attention to this important issue and see a reduction and ultimately an elimination of unauthorized dumping into our surrounding waters. We sincerely thank Sophia for her fantastic help and look forward to partnering with Salem Sound Coastwatch in the future for other murals and educational initiatives.

What goes down your drain – whether it’s in your kitchen, your shower or tub, your toilet – it all goes to the same place – the District treatment facility. We hope everyone does their part and doesn’t put things like wipes, grease, oil, chemicals, or other nasties down the drain, but to help ensure that, we implement our Sewer Use Regulations (SUR) developed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The latest version is available here!

The District recently revised and updated the SUR and Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) in response to NPDES permit requirements and guidance documents from the EPA. The updates include streamlining of our Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) regulations for discharges into our sewer collection system as well as updating our sewer use policies. Updates were also made to previously established maximum industrial loads for industries that discharge within the District’s service area. These changes protect the wastewater treatment plant biological process and the water quality of Salem Harbor. For more information, or to ask questions regarding these updates, please contact us!

We host plant tours for local schools and wastewater professionals alike. By developing relationships with our community at large, we hope to further our Mission of water quality stewardship in ways that increase connection, understanding, and ultimately lead to changes in behavior that will help our water systems survive through the uncertain times ahead.

As we develop our 20-year infrastructure plan, we anticipate our continued efforts will help us all to understand the importance of our plant operating 24-hours a day — no matter what — so our water is clean and safe in the environment around us.

Please, come join us in these conversations—it’s a team effort to keep what goes down our sinks, showers, and toilets and into the ocean clean! Book a tour of our facility, request an educational seminar, and more online at www.sesd.com/contact-us/.

On January 25, 2023, at the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Annual Conference, the South Essex Sewerage District received an Energy Management Achievement Award for 2022. The award recognizes more than ten years of active energy management and reduction work by the District.

The District thanks all of its employees, whose dedication and attention to energy use made this possible. We are honored to receive this award and will continue our efforts to be a steadfast and efficient steward of the environment.