ML official: Don’t flush substitutes for toilet paper

MOSES LAKE — With toilet paper having become a scarce commodity and some people turning to alternatives such as paper towels, the director of the Moses Lake Public Works department wants to remind residents that not everything is designed to be flushed.

According to Public Works Director Fred Snoderly, cleaning items like “flushable wipes, paper towels or any like item” are not designed to be flushed, and they can cause problems to a city’s sewage treatment system.

“These items are not bio-degradable and will clog your sewer service line and the city’s main sewer lines, potentially causing sewage to back up into your house,” Snoderly said. “Please discard those items in the trash.”

“Your cooperation will help us provide undisturbed service to you and your family,” Snoderly added.

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent measures by public officials, consumers have bought out grocery stores’ stock of toilet paper, leading to shortages nationwide.

— Charles H. Featherstone