Managing the “flushable” consumer products in sewer systems – the role of the modeling community

The design and operation of sewer systems has evolved over the centuries to provide adequate transport of urine, feces and toilet tissue, which represent the majority of materials flushed in toilets, along with other accidentally or intentionally flushed products. In the last decade, there has been a marked increase in the production and inappropriate disposal of wet wipes, often labelled “flushable”, leading to a steady growth in the resulting operational issues faced by sewer system operators. The objectives of this presentation are to provide an overview of recent research that the authors have conducted on “flushable” consumer products, offer a brief summary of recent developments related to the transport of gross solids in sewer systems, and suggest possible directions in which the modelling community could contribute to this important and growing issue.