Officials Warn: Don’t Flush Shredded T-Shirts Down the Toilet

The city of Redding, California said its sewage system was backed up

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The city of Redding, California, issued a warning to its residents on Thursday, urging them to avoid flushing shredded T-shirts amid toilet paper shortages.

The “Redding Wastewater Management responded to sewer backup that was the result of the use of shredded T-shirts in place of toilet paper,” according to a statement. “Please refrain from flushing anything except toilet paper down the toilet. Bag it. Don’t flush it.”

If you don’t have toilet paper, city wastewater officials told residents for other materials: “Bag it. Don’t flush it.”

Ryan Bailey, assistant director of public works in the Northern California city, told USA Today that a resident called to say their toilet wasn’t flushing properly.

“Their system wasn’t working well,” Bailey said. He said that “it could’ve been any number of the houses on the street.”

People shop for toilet paper at a Costco store in Novato, Calif., on March 14, 2020. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Shoppers at a Costco store buy toilet paper after the Hawaii Department of Health advised residents they should stock up on supplies for the potential risks of COVID-19 in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Feb. 28, 2020. Courtesy of Duane Tanouye via Reuters

Officials said that a crew found cut-up shirts in the line, unblocking it. City workers then went around to homes and placed door hangers with information about what they can and can’t flush down the toilet.

“Anything and everything is flushable, but it doesn’t mean that it’s OK to put it down the toilet,” Bailey said.

A number of municipalities have called on residents to not flush anything other than toilet paper. “Flushable” wipes are a major concern, but napkins, tissues, paper towels, and other paper products other than toilet paper can cause problems.

“They are not flushable, and they are not biodegradable,” said Stephen Renner, director of the Department of Sanitary Engineering in Franklin County, Ohio, USA Today reported. “They wreak havoc in our system. ... Please don’t flush those down the toilet.”

And in Crystal Lake, Illinois, authorities made a similar plea.

“The system accommodates toilet paper, which is made to disintegrate quickly in water. However, wipes, diapers, and other materials, which do not break down as readily, tend to clog pipes,” the city said, Patch.com reported. “That could mean sewer backups into the homes of residents or neighbors as clogs form down the line, which can be costly to unclog.”

Throughout the United States and world, shoppers have been flocking to supermarkets and other stories to buy mass quantities of toilet paper amid the CCP virus pandemic, leading to shortages and rationing.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.