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The toilet paper shortage is leading some people to resort to other ways of wiping and it caused a problem for part of the Redding sewer system Wednesday night.

Someone apparently used shredded T-shirts when they didn't have toilet tissue, wastewater management officials said Thursday.

As a result, one of the city's sewer lines backed up at a lift station and workers had to take quick action to avert a dangerous spill.

"The pumps were clogged by what appeared to be shredded T-shirts that were used in place of toilet paper," the city said.

If you don't have toilet paper, city wastewater officials have this advice for other materials: "Bag it. Don't flush it."

The sewer system clog occurred on Russell Street off Parkview Avenue, said Ryan Bailey, assistant director of public works.

He said a resident on the street called to say a toilet wasn't flushing.

"Their system wasn't working well," Bailey said.

He didn't know if the person who called might've been the one who caused the T-shirt clog.

"It could've been any number of the houses on the street," Bailey said.

A wastewater crew responded and removed the cut-up T-shirts to unblock the line.

On Thursday, city workers went to Russell Street to put out door hangers that reminded residents about what can and can't be flushed down toilets.

Bailey and his fellow workers have a saying when it comes to toilets.

"Anything and everything is flushable, but it doesn't mean that it's OK to put it down the toilet," he said.

The city's wastewater department says it's crucial not to clog sewage systems especially during the COVID-19 emergency.

Sewer backups can cause fecal matter to back up into showers, toilets and sinks, and the problem might not be able to get fixed quickly when some people are self-quarantined.

"Wastewater Management was able to avert a spill but is concerned about the larger environmental and health ramifications presented by this backup," the city said.

The city warns residents that many products falsely claim to be flushable, such as baby wipes, but they can cause clogs.

"Anything aside from toilet paper works to create a sewer backup, putting our larger sewer system, our water system and our community at risk for another health crisis," the city says.

After the city of Redding's announcement, Shasta Lake City Engineer Jeff Tedder gave his own reminder, as did officials in Anderson.

Despite the shortage, Tedder said toilet paper is the only material that should be flushed.

Don't use these as substitutes: paper towels, tissues, napkins, rags or disposable wipes.

"These materials do not break down in the waste stream and wreak havoc on the public wastewater system, causing line clogging, sanitary sewer overflows and severe pump damage," he said in a press release.

Those products also cause problems for residents who have septic tanks, leading to clogged leach line outlets and sewage backing up into homes.

Tedder echoed Redding's instructions.

"All materials other than toilet paper should be bagged and thrown in the trash."

Mike Chapman is a photojournalist for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RS. Subscribe today!