If you talk with anyone who works in the city's public works department, they will likely tell you unbelievable stories of items they have found stuck in sewer pipes. Many of these things had no business being near a toilet, yet the decision was made to flush them away and inevitably caused an unwanted repair expense to the city.
But the biggest problem these days are being caused by products most people believe should head straight to the sewer: "flushable" wipes.
These sanitary wipes are actually 30 to 45 percent plastic depending on the brand you buy, so they don't break down as a paper product would. The result is that they build up in wastewater pipes and occasionally cause backups in homes. Costly repairs follow, which leads to unexpected expenses for the city and ultimately you, the local taxpayer.
As a result, I am authoring legislation that will hopefully change the public's perception of "flushable" wipes and lead to more of them being thrown in the garbage can rather than the toilet.
The bill would require that any nonwoven, disposable product (such as a wipe) cannot be advertised as flushable, septic or sewer safe if it is proven to cause clogging problems in our sewers. Manufacturers would need to have "Do Not Flush" displayed prominently on the product's label, and if they refuse, they could be fined up to $5,000 for each violation.
This bill was recently heard in the committee that I chair, the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee, along with another initiative that centers on E-waste.
With values of recycled electronics tanking, many counties who operate recycling centers are beginning to lose money. The goal of this legislation is to build upon our successful e-waste law by updating certain criteria and creating a proactive program which encourages the recycling of outdated electronic devices.
As always if you have legislative questions or comments, please contact me. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-3135 or by email at rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn