Water Sector News
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Agoura Hills Urges Not To Flush Wipes Down The Toilet
Apr 13, 2020
https://patch.com/california/agourahills/agoura-hills-urges-not-flush-wipes-down-toilet
Amid increased usage of disinfectant wipes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LVMWD urges customers to refrain from flushing these wipes down the toilet.
Common household disinfectant wipes are a great tool in the battle against the novel coronavirus, however they are not meant to go down the toilet. In fact, all wipes – even those branded as "flushable" – do not dissipate in the sewer system and cause great harm to infrastructure at wastewater treatment facilities.
"All wet wipes, including disinfectant wipes, should be disposed of in the trash can," said Riki Clark, public affairs associate for LVMWD. "Flushing them down the toilet clogs sewage systems and causes back-ups, which could potentially lead to another public health risk."
Legislation is currently moving through the California State Senate to prevent companies from labeling wet wipes as "flushable". Wastewater agencies have already experienced system clogs and spills during this pandemic, as a result of increasing amounts of wipes going down the toilet.