Senate Passes WIPPES Act

In a major legislative victory for the cleaning and facility solutions industry and ISSA, the Association for Cleaning & Facility Solutions, the Senate passed the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act under unanimous consent on March 22.

ISSA, along with its coalition partners—including INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, thank Senators Jeff Merkley (Democrat-Oregon) and Susan Collins (Republican-Maine) for their leadership in spearheading the WIPPES Act as a commonsense, bipartisan measure, enabling its swift passage on the Senate floor.

Due to the lack of consistent and clear disposal packaging instructions, non-flushable wipes are often flushed down the toilet. Since these types of wipes are not designed to be flushed, they can clog and damage pipes, pumps, and treatment equipment, resulting in increased operation and maintenance costs for clean-water utilities.

The WIPPES Act’s “Do Not Flush” labeling requirement establishes a simple source-management solution through consistent on-package consumer education. This legislation enjoys sustained, diverse stakeholder endorsements from industry, clean water, and environmental advocates, as well as from the civil-engineering sectors.

“The WIPPES Act is a straightforward and practical approach to addressing the preventable challenges caused by the improper disposal of non-flushable wipes in the nation’s wastewater system,” said John Nothdurft, ISSA Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. “Enacting this legislation will meaningfully protect public infrastructure and the environment. The association looks forward to continuing to work with its coalition partners to achieve similarly swift passage of the act in the U.S. House of Representative and the subsequent signing of the bill into law.”

Senator Merkley announced Senate passage of the WIPPES Act as part of the inaugural ISSA International Cleaning Week Awards Dinner on March 23 in Washington, D.C.