With Virginia getting ready to transition into Phase 1 of Gov. Ralph Northam’s three-phase plan for easing restrictions on businesses and other locations, Chris Dawson, Gloucester’s Director of Public Utilities, is encouraging property and business owners to properly flush their building’s water system prior to re-occupancy.

When a building goes unused, Dawson said, the water in the pipes may become stagnant. Once pipes are flushed, the water should be replaced with fresh water from the utility system. “Take the proper precautions and keep everyone safe with fresh, high-quality water,” Dawson said.

Also, as some residents have had to deal with toilet paper shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, the county’s Public Utilities Department has seen an increase in problems related to items being flushed down the county’s sanitary sewer system. According to Dawson, public utilities staff members have been responding to an increased number of stoppages in the sewer lines related to items other than toilet paper being flushed down the system.

“As toilet paper runs short, many citizens may turn to alternatives such as ‘flushable wipes’ and sanitizing wipes,” Dawson said. “These poor substitutes can cause problems for sewers that could include backups into homes and malfunctioning treatment equipment.”

Dawson encourages residents on the public sewer system to not flush items such as newspapers, paper towels, hygiene products, diapers, wipes or other trash into the system.

For detailed information on the flushing process, visit www.hrpdcva.gov/buildingflushing.