Communities can wind up spending thousands of dollars to repair and cleanup after people flush wipes or medications down the toilet, clogging pipes and causing sewer backups. Photo: Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY — Water and sewer officials are asking lawmakers for $150,000 to help teach Utahns that toilets are not trash cans.
They say people are flushing wipes, medications and other products, and it’s causing major, costly problems.
“This request is a very crappy request,” said Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, to some chuckles, “but it is a very important and necessary one.”
He spoke in a legislative committee meeting about how pumps are getting ruined by wet wipes.
“You get a clog where the residents’ pipes meet the city pipes, and then there’s backups and sewer backups into their homes,” he said.
People flushing unused drugs or medicines creates an environmental problem as well.
The Central Davis Sewer District sponsors an annual competition, with posters, flyers and stickers going out to schools and community groups.
They say with the appropriated money, the “Toilets Are Not Trash Cans” campaign could go statewide.
“Only three things belong in toilets — pee, poo, paper,” said LeLand Myers with the Wasatch Front Water Quality Council.
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