The City of West Palm Beach Department of Public Utilities reminds all customers nothing should be flushed down the toilet or any other kind of wastewater system but toilet paper and liquids.
Flushable wipes don't dissolve in water, cause clogs and damage wastewater systems costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. Recently, because of the Coronavirus and sheltering, people are more likely to be at home, and more likely to purchase and use toilet paper and flushable wipes.
Many of the wipes pulled out of sewers are advertised as flushable. They don't break down and cause stress to the wastewater system including blockage and spills.
The photo above shows CWPB Utility Department Sanitary Collection crews preparing to clear a city sewer filled and overflowing with "flushable" wipes.
According to the EPA, wipes for disposal are considered solid waste and should not be flushed into a wastewater system.
The following products should never be flushed down the toilet:
- Flushable Wipes
- Baby Wipes
- Facial Wipes
- Flushable Nappies
- Toilet Roll Tubes
- Sanitary products
- Cleansing Pads, Cotton Puffs or Buds
- Cleansing Pads
- Medicines
- Cigarette butts
- Dental Floss
- Bandages
The City of West Palm Beach maintains a series of over 500 miles of underground sanitary sewer pipes that carry wastewater from homes and businesses to the East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility (ECRWRF). The Sanitary Collections division is responsible for performing preventative and corrective maintenance on the collection systems to keep wastewater flowing. Learn more about our utility divisions.