ARRENSBURG — The City of Warrensburg is asking residents to not flush disinfecting wipes and paper towels down toilets as people disinfect residences and businesses during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The city made a Facebook post March 16 illustrating what should not be flushed down the toilet.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations Manager Phil Adlich said wipes, paper towels and facial tissue does not behave the same as toilet paper in the wastewater system.

“The non-flushable items do not dissolve like toilet paper,” Adlich said. “Kleenexs stay together. Paper towels stay together. Even the flushable wipes, they stay together. So, they collect fat, oil and grease and then they start sticking to things and when they do not dissolve, like toilet paper, they get stuck in the pumps, they get stuck in the pipes. They build up and they’ll get stuck to the walls of pipes and eventually it closes the pipe off (and) causes back-ups.”