​With much of the workforce, students and others staying home under COVID-19 social distancing measures, EPCOR is seeing an uptick in maintenance issues caused by disinfecting wipes, paper towels and nitrile gloves showing up in the local wastewater system.

These items are not flushable and can cause sewer backups and other problems. In addition to being costly to fix, these issues eventually could pose their own public health concerns. Standard industry best practices call for flushing only toilet paper and nothing else – not even products labeled "flushable" – to keep pipes clear. Learn more about how to help protect wastewater pipes on EPCOR's website.

Frank Metzler, EPCOR's Director of Operations, said, "Safe water and wastewater systems are especially important now. We support customers using any products they feel are helpful in keeping their surroundings healthy, and we'd ask your cooperation in disposing of these items in the trash. Working together, we can keep our wastewater system operating safely and reliably during this time."

EPCOR is among the largest private utilities in the Southwest, providing water, wastewater and natural gas service to approximately 665,000 people across 44 communities and 15 counties in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. With corporate offices in Phoenix, EPCOR employs nearly 340 people.

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