John Trequato, a wastewater-division employee for Bullhead City, told residents the sewer system should receive only three things: “human waste, toilet paper and gray water.” He warned that disposable wipes, paper towels, napkins and other items are causing “major sewer backup” and damaging pumps.

Trequato showed what he described as drying-bed debris — clumps of wet wipes, plastic bags, razors, pencils, candy wrappers and hundreds of tampon plastic applicators — and said the material “plugs our pumps” and requires labor and outside contractors to remove and repair equipment. He said individual pump replacements cost “about $40,000 a piece” and that the accumulated repairs can add up; the transcript of the presentation also records a larger aggregate figure mentioned by Trequato, which is inconsistent with the per-pump number recorded.

Why it matters: when nonbiodegradable items enter sewer lines they can jam pumps and motors, leading to emergency callouts, service disruptions and repair bills paid from city funds. Trequato said these costs are avoidable by disposing of wipes and similar items in the trash rather than flushing them.

Bullhead City’s public-works messaging directs residents with questions to the city website. Trequato urged simple behavior changes: do not flush disposable wipes or other nonpaper products. The presentation did not include a city-wide, independently verified total cost for recent repairs; the transcript captures Trequato’s per-pump estimate and a separate larger total mentioned during the talk. The city did not provide a separate, itemized accounting of total repair spending in the video.

The city recommended residents contact the wastewater division or the city website for additional guidance on proper disposal and to report recurring blockages. No formal action, ordinance change or new fee was announced in the presentation.