Not knowing how much toilet paper they will need to weather the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, shoppers have been panic-buying the product, making it hard to come by when grocery store shopping. As a result, people have been using more flushable wipes, which they see as an alternative.  

But Marty Flynn, spokesperson for the Clark County Water Reclamation District, which collects and treats wastewater in unincorporated Clark County and surrounding rural areas, says the wipes are not “flushable” in a practical sense, and that the label is misleading. 

“The clean water industry has been fighting this battle for years with the personal care product manufacturers, and is working on legislation regarding the labeling,” Flynn said in an email on Tuesday. 

Wipes and feminine products clog sewer pipes, he said, reminding that only “the three Ps” (pee, poo and toilet paper) should ever be flushed.  

“If other products have to be used, they need to be thrown in the trash, not flushed,” he said. 

Personal care products do not dissolve in the water, causing stoppages in the sewer system — a problem for not just the water reclamation cleaning crew but also for customers. Crews, which are operating with reduced staffing because of the pandemic, recently responded to a customer whose sewer line was clogged with wipes, causing a backup in the customer’s home. 

In apartment complexes, similar behavior could lead to full-on “stoppage and sewage overflow,” he said.

Greater use and flushing of personal care wipes has increased the workload for water reclamation staff, who he says have recently doubled the number of cleanouts at pumping stations, to prevent pipes from backing up. 

“We’ve invested in additional equipment to prevent the wipes and other materials from getting into the pumping equipment. The materials have to be removed by hand,” he said. 

Flynn added that fats, oil and grease, which people sometimes pour down their sinks, can cause other clogs, and need to be thrown in the trash as well.

The district’s wastewater collection system has 2,200 miles of pipeline and 24 pumping stations to take the wastewater from Southern Nevada homes and businesses to water treatment facilities. Flynn describes it as an “unseen utility” because the service is taking away something versus providing water or electricity, which people notice the absence of. 

“The contrast is that then you flip a switch, you turn on the lights; turn the tap, and drinking water comes out; turn the stove knob, and natural gas flame appears,” he said. “With us, our work starts when the used water goes down the drain, or the toilet is flushed. Folks don’t see what happens next, and our infrastructure and work is out of sight and mind."