San Diego gave emergency authorization this week to pay an extra $80 million to chemical suppliers that say they need to sharply raise prices because of pandemic-related supply-chain issues, higher fuel costs and rising costs for raw materials due to inflation. City officials say the chemicals are essential for treating sewage and keeping drinking water clean and healthy.
It seems like the thing to do. You use a disinfectant wet wipe, and you toss it in the toilet. Right? That’s actually wrong. It’s an issue causing problems for wastewater treatment systems on the Central and South Coasts. People are using wet wipes in record numbers because of coronavirus. But, they can create problems for your sewer system, and for wastewater treatment facilities.
The shortage of toilet paper is causing some residents to utilize other wiping substances and, when toilets are flushed with some of those alternatives, local sewer lines are impacted.
“The primary issue we have when people do that is backups in the sewer,” Jack Bebee, general manager of Fallbrook Public Utility District, said.
“We’ve seen an increase in our maintenance needs related to dealing with items such as flushable wipes,” Tom Kennedy, general manager of Rainbow Municipal Water District, said.
“Paper towels are not particularly made either to get through the sewer system,” Bebee said.
Scratch paper, wax and other materials have been flushed down toilet drains and into the sewer systems.
“We find all sorts of things in there,” Kennedy said.
“Clogs have been caused by that,” Bebee said.
“We see the flushable wipes more than anything else. They’re not flushable. They might say flushable on the package, but they’re not flushable,” Kennedy said. “It doesn’t degrade. You need things that are biodegradable.”
Something you may not be thinking about during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is what you’re flushing down the toilet. Plumbers say a lack of supplies is causing some major backups.
A lack of toilet paper means a lot of people have been putting other things down their toilets. The experts at Bill Howe Plumbing say that is a terrible idea.
With toilet paper flying off the shelves, some people are scrambling for alternatives. Turns out, you should really think twice about what you’re putting down there.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
