If short of TP, be careful when disposing of wipes, water officials say

Have you been unable to find toilet paper in the Las Vegas Valley? The Clark County Water Reclamation District would like to remind you that “flushable wipes” really shouldn’t go into the toilet.

“A golf ball could be flushable, but that doesn’t mean you should actually flush it down the toilet,” Julie Chadburn, a spokeswoman for the district, said on Wednesday.

Paper towels and cleaning wipes also should be kept out of the pipes. Wipes don’t break down in the sewer the same way that toilet paper does and could clog pipes, Chadburn said.

Las Vegas officials this week urged shoppers to buy only essentials after stores saw shortages of some food and home goods during the coronavirus pandemic.

One item shoppers have been citing as hard to find is toilet paper. While wipes are one alternative, Chadburn said people should be careful not to cause sewage issues in their home during the pandemic.

“Now is not the time to have a sewer overflow in your home,” according to a statement from the Water Reclamation District. “Sewer overflows are messy and costly. Plumbers may not be available during these unprecedented times.”

The agency services the unincorporated portions of Clark County within the Las Vegas Valley, as well as the communities of Blue Diamond, Indian Springs, Laughlin, Moapa Valley and Searchlight.

Chadburn said as of Wednesday morning, the Water Reclamation District, which is in charge of cleaning wastewater in the valley, hasn’t received any reports of increased sewage issues. But with the 30-day closures of nonessential businesses and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging social distancing, people should be extra cautious.

“This is a constant message we have because it’s always a problem,” Chadburn said.

But other than the potential sewage clog problem, the spread of COVID-19 has not affected the Water Reclamation District’s ability to clean wastewater in the valley, she said.

If you’re 60 or older and haven’t been able to find toilet paper or wipes, Smith’s Food & Drug announced Tuesday that it would reserve the hour of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays for older shoppers.

Go to www.paininthedrain.com for more information.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Marvin Clemons contributed to this report.