Homeowners on Winkler's 2nd and 3rd Street experienced sewer backups this past weekend after the Mountain Avenue sewer construction site in was overwhelmed by surface water.

However, the incident revealed a hidden issue: rags and  in the sewers.

Director of Planning and Engineering, Scott Toews, explains surface water runoff after heavy rains flooded the site during the early morning hours. Once the construction site surface water was diverted, and the construction site pumping was able to catch up, he notes a number of rags were freed up in the sewer system.

The unclogged rags, such as flushable wipes, caused partial pump blockages which extended the time required to reduce the system back-up.

Winkler Mayor Martin Harder explains it's, unfortunately, not a new issue, "Rags do not belong in the sewer, please."

Toews notes site flow conditions were back to normal by 9:00 a.m on Sunday. However, he says significant erosion did occur and will be repaired following the completion of the sewer project.