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Bullhead City wastewater staff warns that wipes and foreign debris are clogging pumps
Summary
Bullhead City wastewater staff displayed debris from a drying bed and urged residents not to flush wipes or other non‑sewer items, saying the material plugs pumps and drives avoidable labor and replacement costs; staff cited pump replacement costs of about $40,000 each and estimated significant avoidable taxpayer expense.
John Trequato of Bullhead City’s wastewater division used the public‑service segment to urge residents to limit sewer disposals to human waste, toilet paper and gray water and to stop flushing wipes and similar items.
Trequato showed material removed from city drying beds and listed common clogging items — disposable wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, plastic bags, razor blades, pencils and tampon applicators — that he said should go in the trash. "Please do not flush any disposable or non disposable wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, napkins, or any other paper or non paper products as this will cause a major sewer backup," he said.
Operational and budget impact
Trequato said the city has had to replace two or three pumps at the start of the plant at an estimated cost of about $40,000 apiece "just about every year," and described the labor and diagnostic work required when pumps are fouled. He also said the debris problem imposes avoidable taxpayer expense and gave an estimated figure for those avoidable costs, stating a minimum of "$4,050,000 dollars of taxpayers dollars that can be avoided very easily." The figure was presented by Trequato as an estimate of accumulated or potential avoidable costs; staff did not provide a line‑item accounting during the work session.
Public guidance and next steps
Trequato and staff urged residents to dispose only the three items listed into the sewer system and to place other materials in the trash. The city’s message was presented as an operational advisory rather than a vote or ordinance change; no enforcement actions were announced at the work session. Council and staff did not take a formal vote on this presentation; the wastewater message will be carried forward as public education and operational guidance.
