3/19/2020 Beltrami County COVID-19 Update

LET'S TALK ABOUT TP...

The news of COVID-19 sparked a lot of panic buying and people stocking up on essentials... some people stocked up a lot! The good news is, they probably won't have to buy the beloved paper product for many months to come. Others were left with none. If you find yourself having to use something other than designated toilet paper, Beltrami County Environmental Services has the following message.

Update from Brent Rud, Environment Services Director

Out of Toilet Paper???

Everyone has heard the stories about shortages of toilet paper and we are seeing people buying paper towels, napkins, and flushable wipes to use as substitutes because that is all they can find. These other types of paper products will not break down like toilet paper and can cause backups in your plumbing resulting in sewage backing up into your house. They can also cause pumps to fail requiring expensive fixes, especially if it happens before the ground is thawed. They may make maintaining your septic system more expensive later on also.

If you are using alternatives to toilet paper – please remember that those products shouldn’t be flushed down the drain.