Not all crap is the same—agencies tell public to stop flushing wipes, paper towels and rags down the toilet.

Time to confess. Who flushed a bunch of rags—specifically cut-up squares of T-shirt—down the toilet, causing a sewer line to clog in Monterey last week?

Chances are the culprit will never come forward, but the gross clog discovered by Monterey Public Works employees is instructive in this time that has people doing a lot more disinfecting than usual, while trying to avoid being infected by Covid-19. (Or maybe they're using things other than toilet paper because certain other people hoarded it all?)

The problem of flushing wipes, paper towels and cloth rags is becoming such an issue on the Monterey Peninsula and elsewhere around the state, the local wastewater treatment agency, Monterey One Water, issued a press release on March 23 warning against the practice. Even so-called "flushable" wipes are a big no-no.

The agency said that while it encourages the public to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting homes, wipes and other materials used need to be discarded in the trash.

“Similarly, if you find your toilet paper supply depleted, substitutes like paper towels, ‘flushable’ wipes, rags, or cloths should also be discarded in the trash, not the toilet,” the agency said. 

Using the toilet as a trash can leads to clogs, backups, overflows and spills in the municipal sewer system. Wastewater treatment facilities like the one operated by Marina One Water in Marina are not designed to handle anything beyond toilet paper and organic waste . Sewer spills can end up in the ocean, creating a whole new public health risk in the middle of a pandemic.

“Preventing sewer spills is important, especially during this Covid-19 emergency, for the protection of public health and the environment,” the M1W's statement reads.

The city of Monterey reported its own issues in a call with the media on Friday. Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira relayed the T-shirt rag story, and said city employees have recently been responding to more calls of sewage line clogs than normal.