New Oregon law takes a swipe at 'flushable' wipes

[TexasTowelie]

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon will become the second state in the US to require that disposable wipes be labeled with "Do Not Flush," a triumph for water district officials and local governments in the state.

While many wipes are marketed as "flushable" these days, the people that deal with the end result say that these products have been wreaking havoc on sewer and wastewater systems throughout the state of Oregon.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already growing problem caused by a glut of products marketed as flushable, when in fact they were clogging and damaging residential and community pipes,” said Susie Smith, director of the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies. “We are grateful to the cities, agencies and legislators who championed this common-sense requirement.”

House Bill 2344 was championed by Smith's group, the League of Oregon Cities, and the Special Districts Association of Oregon. Together, they asked that a bill be introduced due to the ongoing challenges and rising costs associated with wipes and related products that are flushed down the toilet — resulting in sewer backups, overflows, damage to pumps and wastewater equipment.

Read more: https://www.kdrv.com/content/news/New-Oregon-law-takes-a-swipe-at-flushable-wipes-574632681.html

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

1. I have never flushed the flushable wipes.

There is just something about them that made me weary of flushing them.

[calimary]

7. Neither do we.

It always seemed like a bad idea. Too bulky for the pipes to accommodate.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. There is no such thing as a "flushable wipe" although it's been tried...

Most absorbent paper includes some sort of strengthener which stops it from breaking down in the toilet bowl. Even Kleenex might have some.

I used to live in an apartment complex where at least once every 6 months a sewer guy would have to be called when the pipes stopped up and apartments got flooded. It was all paper towels and wipes being flushed down.

https://www.today.com/series/one-small-thing/are-flushable-wipes-really-flushable-t151945

[TexasTowelie]

3. My apartment complex recently sent out a flyer to every apartment telling us what we can

and cannot flush. Apparently there have been so many incidents that they told the tenants that we could be billed if they trace a problem to a specific apartment. The one thing that I see my brother flush are cigarette butts so I had to get on his case about that.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. We got those, too. But, it's usually impossible to tell who the culprits are.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

4. Thanks for the article!

I just sent it to my councilwoman. We just had costly problems with our own sanitation dept. Many new people with babies in our smallish complex. We all pay the price for those wipes going down the toilet.

[TexasTowelie]

6. You're welcome.

My apartment complex and my apartment building is mostly older people so we don't have a huge problem, but I've lived at other complexes where it could be an issue with babies and toddlers.

[Beartracks]

8. Oregon towelies?

Sorry.

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[TexasTowelie]

12. LOL. Yes, I envy my cousin.

He gets the dank bud for the appetizer and shrooms for the entrée since it's legal! ⚗️🍄

[RockRaven]

9. At the start of COVID lockdowns when everyone went crazy about hoarding toilet paper,

our local sanitation district repeatedly sent mailers to every customer practically begging people to not flush "flushable" wipes and other such things.

[cstanleytech]

10. Perhaps its time that cities to sue the manufacturer's for damages for labeling them as flushable?

[Kablooie]

11. I tried them but after a few months...

Had to hire a plumber to remove a huge wad of them stuck deep in our pipes.