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PRESS RELEASE. From Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s Office on March 24th, 2026.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced that his bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act unanimously passed the Senate. Merkley leads the WIPPES Act with Maine’s U.S. Senator Susan Collins. The WIPPES Act would address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wipes.
“When non-flushable wipes back up our wastewater system, it hurts our infrastructure, our environment, and our wallets,” said Merkley. “Accurately labelling wipes and other products as ‘non-flushable’ is a necessary step to help consumers appropriately dispose of their waste. We are on the way to protecting our water supply and improving wastewater infrastructure as the WIPPES Act comes even closer to becoming law.”
The bipartisan, bicameral WIPPES Act addresses the pervasive, but ultimately preventable, problem of the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes by establishing “Do Not Flush” labeling requirements for products such as baby wipes, household wipes, disinfecting wipes, and personal care wipes. Many of these wipes are composed of manufactured plastic fibers or other strong fibers, and while these products are not marketed as flushable, consumers frequently flush them into sewer systems as a means of disposal. Due to strong fibers, these types of wipes do not break down as they travel through the sewer systems. Instead, the wipes become magnets, attracting fats, oils, and grease that become obstructions in sewerage systems’ pipes. These masses clog pumps, block sewer collection systems, and jam motors, leading to sewage backups and treatment equipment failures.
U.S. Representatives Lisa McClain (R-MI) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) lead a similar version of the legislation, which passed the House of Representatives in 2025.
The WIPPES Act is endorsed by the American Public Works Association, American Rivers, Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, ISSA (the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association), National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Rural Water Association, National Stewardship Action Council, Oak Lodge Water Services, Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies, The Coalition for Clean Water, Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts, Water Environment Federation, and 5Gyres.
To learn more about the WIPPES Act, including the full text of the legislation, click here.
More on Granada Community Services District on Coastside Buzz
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Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) Meetings ~ 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7:00pm
SAM Agendas and Zoom Links
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Where Does Your Poop Go ~ Virtual Video Tour!
Interactive “Story Map” Tour
Contact Us
Our regular office hours are 7:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The Authority can be reached 24-hours a day at: (650) 726-0124.
Our Address is:
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside
1000 Cabrillo Hwy N.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
SAM Board from left. Paul Nagengast (HMB), Nancy Marsh (GCSD), Scott Boyd (MWSD), Debbie Ruddock (HMB), Barbara Dye (GCSD), Kathryn Slater-Carter (MWSD).
The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) provides wastewater treatment services and contract collection maintenance services for a population of approximately 24,000 in the following areas:
- City of Half Moon Bay
- El Granada
- Miramar
- Montara
- Moss Beach
- Princeton by the Sea
SAM Directors
SAM is a joint powers authority (JPA) created by its three member agencies: City of Half Moon Bay (City), Granada Community Services District (GCSD), and the Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD).
The JPA is a separate, independent, public agency created by the member agencies to perform functions and share powers common to the member agencies. Those powers are outlined in a joint exercise of powers agreement (Agreement). The Agreement creating SAM can be found on the Documents page.
Each Agreement identifies how the independent agency will be governed. In the case of SAM, each member agency appoints two members from its governing board to represent it on the SAM Board of Directors, for a total of six directors.
The Agreement also establishes the weight of each director’s vote. The vote by each representatives from the City is given the weight of two votes. The vote by each representative from GCSD and MWSD is given the weight of one vote. The total number of possible votes is eight. A quorum is a minimum of five votes and resolutions require at least six votes to pass.
2026 SAM Directors
Kathryn Slater-Carter ~ Chair, Representing the Montara Water & Sanitary District
Nancy Marsh ~ Vice Chair, Representing the Granada Community Services District
Paul Nagengast ~ Secretary/Treasurer, Representing the City of Half Moon Bay
Deborah Ruddock ~ Director, Representing the City of Half Moon Bay
Barbara Dye ~ Director, Representing the Granada Community Services District
Scott Boyd ~ Director, Representing the Montara Water & Sanitary District
Author: mdrag
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