July 01 2021
Oregonians need a bit more potty training, according to state lawmakers.
After years of angst — and unnecessary costs — for local governments, Oregon became the second state in the nation this year to require "do not flush" labels on the disinfectant, personal care, make-up and baby wipes commonly sold in the bathroom aisle.
"There's no such thing as a flushable wipe," says Clean Water Services chief of staff Mark Jockers, "even the ones that say they're flushable."
The Washington County utility purifies more than 65 million gallons of wastewater a day for over 610,000 customers — and the agency's wipe woes have only intensified since March 2020, when stay-home orders and toilet paper shortages triggered a "significant" jump in the pre-moistened towelettes clogging sewer lines.