KAPLAN, KATC - What may seem like a small act, like flushing a wipe down the toilet, has become a big problem in the city of Kaplan.
Officials say so-called 'flushable' wipes are clogging the city’s wastewater system, damaging expensive equipment and draining public resources.
“It starts off small, but it grows into a huge knot by the time it gets to a sewer,” said Kaplan Mayor Mike Kloesel.
Charlie Beiza, who has managed Kaplan’s wastewater treatment plant for seven years, has seen the problem up close.
“This right here is where all the sewer comes in from the town of Kaplan,” he said, pointing to a large pipe at the facility. “This big pipe comes from the pumping station on Trahan Street.”
Beiza said the problem isn’t just the volume of waste—it’s what’s in it.
“A bunch of stuff. I mean wipes—oh my God—plastics, toys. It’s unreal,” he said.
He explained that wipes don’t break down in the pipes the way toilet paper does.
“Once you flush it down, it doesn’t come here directly. It goes through the pipes," Beiza said. "Eventually, if the flow is slow, they’re going to start hanging up on some of the pipes, and before you know it, you have a big clump.”
That “clump” can cause pumps to fail—something Kaplan is dealing with more often.
BY THE NUMBERS
The city operates 13 pump stations and two lift stations. Just recently, officials had to replace two pumps: one costing $15,000 and another at nearly $20,000.
“We’re replacing two to three pumps a year,” Kloesel said. “These pumps are $12,000 to $18,000 apiece. It places havoc on the system.”
The problem worsened during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when toilet paper shortages led more people to turn to wipes. The trend hasn’t slowed.
Kloesel said he’s even used social media to educate residents about the hidden cost of flushing wipes with his latest Facebook post.
Licensed plumber Stephen McDaniels, co-owner of Cajun Plumbing, said the damage can extend beyond city infrastructure and into private homes.
“It can create someone having to redo their entire house, busting up their slab, changing their pipes, and it can just become a disaster,” McDaniels said.
For Beiza, the solution is simple: “Don’t throw a baby wipe. Don’t throw any handy wipes like that.”
His message to residents is clear: no wipes in the pipes.
