Clean Water Current
International Water Services Flushability Group Meets to Finalize Standards for Flushable Wipes
(March 27, 2018) - The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) met on March 20-21 to consider comments received on the second draft of the IWSFG flushability standard. The IWSFG is an international group of wastewater utilities and the associations that represent them, together sharing a common goal of reducing the problems caused by the inappropriate flushing of consumer products, including wipes. The flushability standard will ensure that any product meeting the standard is actually safe to flush into municipal wastewater utility systems.
NACWA was represented at the meeting by Frank Dick, Wastewater Engineering Supervisor at City of Vancouver Public Works and Chair of the NACWA Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee, and Rob Villee, Executive Director of the Plainfield Area Regional Sewerage Authority. NACWA is the U.S. voting member of the IWSFG. Other countries represented include, Japan, Spain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. State and regional wastewater associations and individual utilities are also encouraged to join the IWSFG by signing the IWSFG Memorandum of Understanding.
The IWSFG standard will be finalized in April, which will aid NACWA’s efforts to promote state legislation that deals with the problems caused by flushed wipes. Contact Cynthia Finley with any questions.