A few dozen Barrington residents received letters from the town this week warning of a problem with the sewer system.

The letter was hand-delivered to people living in a section of Hampden Meadows that borders Hundred Acre Cove, and it detailed an issue with the Juniper Street ejector system pumps. 

According to the letter, the pumps have become clogged and damaged over the past few weeks by people who are flushing rags, paper towels and other "non-flushable materials" down their toilets. 

"According to the town's sewer ordinance such items are prohibited from being discharged into the public sewer system," stated the letter.

Barrington Department of Public Works Director Joe Piccerelli said his workers have been dealing with the issue for the past three weeks. He said they are noticing rags — possibly painters' rags — clogging the sewer ejector pumps almost every day.

"This is not just baby wipes," he said. "They're pulling rags out of the pump. It's thick stuff."

Mr. Piccerelli said the pump, which is located at the intersection of Juniper Street and Riverview Drive, services about two or three dozen homes in that immediate area. The pump is used to push the wastewater back up to the sewer main that runs under Sunset Drive and out to Martin Avenue, where it connects with another main sewer line. Eventually all wastewater is pumped out of Barrington to a facility in Riverside, where it is treated.

During normal inspections on the pump about three weeks ago, workers noticed rags and other materials clogging the pump. They worked to clear the pump and then put it back in place. They checked the pump again a few days later and again noticed rags clogging it up.

"If you don't monitor the situation something bad could happen," said Mr. Piccerelli. 

The DPW director said if the pump was to fail, waste could flow back into the homes that feed into the Juniper Street ejector system pump.

Mr. Piccerelli said the town has witnessed similar situations in other neighborhoods in the past. Officials said there was a problem with a pump station in Bay Spring a few years back.

The director said he hopes the letters will alert residents to the situation and bring an end to the problem. 

The letter stated that residents are welcome to call the department of public works if they have any questions. The phone number is 247-1907.