Merkley Celebrates Senate Passage of His Bipartisan Bill to Wipe Out Non-Flushables from Wastewater Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced that his bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act unanimously passed the Senate. Merkley leads the WIPPES Act with Maine's U.S. Senator Susan Collins. The WIPPES Act would address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wipes.

"When non-flushable wipes back up our wastewater system, it hurts our infrastructure, our environment, and our wallets," said Merkley. "Accurately labelling wipes and other products as 'non-flushable' is a necessary step to help consumers appropriately dispose of their waste. We are on the way to protecting our water supply and improving wastewater infrastructure as the WIPPES Act comes even closer to becoming law."

The bipartisan, bicameral WIPPES Act addresses the pervasive, but ultimately preventable, problem of the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes by establishing "Do Not Flush" labeling requirements for products such as baby wipes, household wipes, disinfecting wipes, and personal care wipes. Many of these wipes are composed of manufactured plastic fibers or other strong fibers, and while these products are not marketed as flushable, consumers frequently flush them into sewer systems as a means of disposal. Due to strong fibers, these types of wipes do not break down as they travel through the sewer systems. Instead, the wipes become magnets, attracting fats, oils, and grease that become obstructions in sewerage systems' pipes. These masses clog pumps, block sewer collection systems, and jam motors, leading to sewage backups and treatment equipment failures.

U.S. Representatives Lisa McClain (R-MI) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) lead a similar version of the legislation, which passed the House of Representatives in 2025.

The WIPPES Act is endorsed by the American Public Works Association, American Rivers, Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, ISSA (the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association), National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Rural Water Association, National Stewardship Action Council, Oak Lodge Water Services, Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies, The Coalition for Clean Water, Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts, Water Environment Federation, and 5Gyres.

To learn more about the WIPPES Act, including the full text of the legislation, click here.

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