City reminds residents to watch what they flush

As many people use cleaning wipes and paper towels to disinfect surfaces amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of San Marcos is reminding residents to not flush those wipes down the toilet. 

Jon Clack, assistant director of Public Services, Water/Wastewater Utilities, said the city’s collection system recently had a small sewer overflow because of a problem caused by wipes and paper towels. 

“When all those wipes enter our sewer pipes, lift stations and eventually the plant, they can create significant clogs and backups,” Clack said. “The materials in most wipes don’t disintegrate in water the same way as toilet paper.”