Keep disinfecting but throw
wipes away, don’t flush them
Re: “Coronavirus: California issues warning about disinfecting wipes” (Eastbaytimes.com, March 17):
The Bay Area just extended its shelter-in-place order to May — and as coronavirus spreads, so too does pressure on local sewer lines.
Here in Richmond, as we continue sterilizing our households, we must avoid subsequently throwing our wipes down the toilet or sink — lest we risk massive, gross “fatberg” blockages.
Although many “disposable” hand wipes are advertised as flushable, the city of Richmond has partnered with Veolia, our town’s wastewater treatment operator, to remind us that inappropriately disposed wipes and towels cause destructive backups.
The California Water Resources Board says flushing wipes can clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Flushing them can also cause household plumbing backups, flooding homes with raw sewage. That’s one of the last things we need with nearly most of us home for at least the next month.
Keep disinfecting to fight this pandemic, but when you’re done: Throw that wipe in the trash, not down the toilet.
Brian Bruce
General Manager
Richmond Sewage Treatment Plant
Richmond
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