Julio Cortez / AP
In this photograph taken, Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, in Middlesex, N.J., Rob Villee, executive director of the Plainfield Area Regional Sewer Authority in New Jersey, holds up a wipe he flushed through his test toilet in his office.
Monday, March 30, 2020 | 5 p.m.
Personal and cleaning wipes, even those labeled “flushable,” are not meant to be flushed down the toilet and can likely result in clogged pipes, according to officials from the Clark County Water Reclamation District.
Fears around the spread of COVID-19 have spurred demand for toilet paper, leaving supermarket shelves empty as people seek alternatives for wiping.
Wastewater management teams have noticed more wipes in pipelines and in treatment facilities over the past several weeks.
“We know personal wipes are popular and effective, but please throw them in the trash,” General Manager Tom Minwegen said.
Personal care products and cleaning wipes don’t dissolve in water the way toilet paper does, causing stoppages in the system. Minwegen said crews recently responded to one home with a sewer lateral clogged with so many wipes, there was a backup throughout the home. The district, already operating on a reduced staff, urges residents to be mindful of this and remember the "Three Ps" when flushing: "pee, poo and toilet paper."
