Formation and growth of wipe blockages due to a vertical obstruction in sewers: Experimental analysis to policy and management strategies

Improper disposal of wipes results in significant sewer blockages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the formation and growth of wipe blockages and their backwater effect in sewers have not been studied. This study employed a vertical rod to simulate sewer obstructions such as tree root intrusion in sewers. Stochastic interactions among wipes, turbulent flow, and the obstruction were experimentally studied in a circular pipe (diameter D = 25 cm), with systematic variations in flow Froude number (Fr), wipe length (L), flow depth (H), submerged rod length (hrod), and rod diameter (drod). It was found that the mean area ratio of wipes (ratio of projected area in water to original surface area of the wipe) ranged from 0.14 to 0.30, indicating the distorted shapes in water. The entrapment probability P (ratio of entrapped to released wipes) for a single wipe was closely correlated with Fr, H/D, L/H, drod/H, and hrod/H, with a maximum value of 0.90. With the increase in the number of wipes released, the influence of the obstruction on wipe accumulation processes became negligible. New equations were developed for characterizing entrapment probability, blockage length, and backwater rise, which can be used to predict the development of wipe blockages and sewage levels. Based on the research findings, policy and management strategies were proposed for wipe blockage reduction in sewers.