Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services has been on a scatalogical mission: to keep anything other than human waste and toilet paper out of county sewers.
The campaign has included flyers, social media posts and — most recently — a temporary art installation that made its big debut at the Arlington County Fair.
The reason for the fecal focus is to keep sewage pipes flowing and crews focused on things other than clearing blockages.
"Flushable" wipes aren't. The toilet isn't a trash can. Keep out everything except paper from the roll and things you make yourself. https://t.co/smHIFKVEUz pic.twitter.com/xqtd8fxCST
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) May 22, 2021
So what happens when you accidentally flush a small, solid object down the toilet? It’s a scenario that might be familiar to parents of young children with a penchant for taking tiny toys with them to the potty.
In the case of one ARLnow staff member, it was a small but beloved plastic penguin that is currently on a dark journey somewhere below ground. (Its replacement is seen above, near the scene of its predecessor’s incident.)
DES comms man Peter Golkin, the progenitor of many of the department’s poo posts on social media, says that penguin may one day make it all the way down to the county sewage plant near Crystal City.
“Ah, the eternal joys of parenthood,” Golkin said. “Basically, if all goes well, that small toy does make a great voyage from your home, through the sanitary sewer lines and ultimately comes out at the Water Pollution Control Plant, where it gets caught and strained out with the hygiene products, blobs of fat, non-decomposing wipes etc.”
“The other possibility is it gets caught at some point in the lines where it could linger for years, maybe decompose, or become a fatburger buildup point, growing larger with accumulating detritus,” the spox continued. “At some point, that could become a serious clog and then a crew will have to get into the line and clear all that junk out.”
For the guilt ridden, there’s little that can be done once an object makes it through a toilet’s bendy pipes.
“There’s not much a homeowner can do about something already flushed down the line,” said Golkin. “Obviously you’ll need a plumber if it clogs up the house line. Sinks are easier because the elbow joint will usually catch items that shouldn’t have gone down the drain.”
The wayward penguin, meanwhile, is not the only coming arrival at the Water Pollution Control Plant. The plant is set for a series of major upgrades, including a new ability to turn waste into energy and fertilizer.
