DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. _ The run on toilet paper amid the coronavirus pandemic has led folks to try and find more creative ways to take care of business.
Some are resorting to paper towels or buying up cheap washcloths to use, wash, and reuse while many are resorting to baby wipes, hand wipes and so-called "flushable" wipes.
But those wipes and other items are literally causing problems down the line by clogging up local sewer systems, say officials, who are imploring everyone to stop flushing anything other than toilet paper down the toilet.
"Our crews have seen, for a while now, the backups caused by the wipes," said Ellen Fisher, spokeswoman for the New Smyrna Beach Utilities Commission, which supplies water to more than 27,000 customers in the Southeast Volusia area. Fisher said all cities are trying to get the word out that even the products that claim they can be flushed, shouldn't be flushed.
"Even though they say they're flushable, they're really not," said Matt Murray, field operations supervisor for the southeast utility. "They don't break down, so what they do is they get into our sanitary system, into our lift stations, and then they just clog the pumps. That is, if they make it that far. They can also get hung up on the customer's side."
What does that mean for everyone using a toilet?
That means if the wipes (or other randomness getting flushed, like grease, oil and paper towels) clog a line, the pumps stop working and sewer system backups ensue.
"So everyone that's upstream from that blockage will be affected," said Murray. "That's bad."
"We want our customers to call us first with any kind of sewer issues," said Murray. "We don't want them to call the plumber first."
That way, they can assess the situation and find out whether the issue is a clog that will affect the neighborhood, or if it is an issue within the customer's home.
Other cities across East and West Volusia are urging folks, too.
"Given so many might be utilizing wipes in the coming days, we wanted to remind you that the only thing that you should be flushing, besides the obvious, is toilet paper," the City of Ormond Beach wrote in a social media post.
The city responded to a comment about the lack of resources with a reply that stated the supply chain appears to be trying to catch up to the demand.
"I don't understand the whole toilet paper thing," said Murray, echoing scores of others who are finding empty shelves everywhere they turn.
Theories abound on the shortage, with some saying it is a psychological response to stress and trying to control their environment. Others think toilet paper is a cheaper alternative to tissues amid warnings of a pandemic spread of flu-like symptoms.
But as long as the shortage exists, toss those so-called "flushable" hand wipes and baby wipes into the garbage.
