Because of the TP shortage, people are using wipes, T-shirts with predictable results

The Napa Sanitation District said Monday that these wet wipes were caught by a single screen at the district's pumping station in Napa. (They are shown after they were washed.) District officials are asking residents not to flush wipes and other toilet-paper subsitutes down toilets. less The Napa Sanitation District said Monday that these wet wipes were caught by a single screen at the district's pumping station in Napa. (They are shown after they were washed.) District officials are asking ... more Photo: Napa Sanitation District Photo: Napa Sanitation District Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Because of the TP shortage, people are using wipes, T-shirts with predictable results 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Thanks to people hoarding toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic, some Californians have completely run out of bathroom tissue.

So what do they do when nature calls? They improvise.

And that, communities are discovering, can cause problems. Big, stinky, overflowing problems.

In Redding, Calif., wastewater management officials said someone apparently used shredded T-shirts as a toilet paper substitute, according to the Redding Searchlight.

While the soiled rags evidently passed through the sewer line of the person’s residence, they snagged on pumps at a lift station on one of city’s sewer lines. If workers hadn’t taken quick action to clear the clog, a dangerous brown spill might have occurred.

Meanwhile, Napa Sanitation District officials posted a picture Monday on Facebook of hundreds of flushed wet wipes captured by a single screen at the district’s pump station in Napa. The district reminded people to flush only toilet paper and human waste down the toilet.

“Remember to never flush wipes, paper towels, or tissues because they clog the pipes! Throw all wipes and other materials in the trash can!” the post read.

The same goes for sanitary napkins, tampons, and fats or oils.

District officials noted that packaging on many wipes label them as “flushable,” which is not true. “There are no truly flushable wipes,” they wrote.

Last week Tony Rubio, district manager for Sanitary District No. 5 in Marin County, told BuzzFeed News that two water sewage system overflows were caused by wet wipes being flushed down the toilet.

Besides municipal sewage systems, residential sewer lines are often clogged by wipes and other non-toilet paper materials, especially older pipes that haven’t been cleaned for a while. Sump pumps also can jam on wipes.

When such clogs occur, toilets typically back up and can spill out onto floors, creating a disgusting, noisome and unsanitary mess.

If you don't have toilet paper, wastewater officials ask that you bag waste paper substitutes instead of flushing them.

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Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate