Overview
Single-use wet wipes have gained popularity in recent years. Many of these products are marketed as flushable, but often times are not compatible with sewer systems and infrastructure. Other products are not intended to be flushed but end up being improperly disposed of in the toilet. Flushing these products presents an increasing problem for property owners, sewer systems, and ratepayers, since wipes often do not break down after being flushed. Wipes can catch on tree roots and accumulate with fats, oils and grease and become large obstructions in the pipes. Further down the line, they weave together and create giant rags which get stuck in pumps, collection systems, and motors, causing backups and equipment failures. This problem is experienced across the state, country, and worldwide as disposable wet wipe products become more widely available.
Legislation
Communications Tools
In The News
- Disposable Hand Wipes Clog Bay Area Sewer Treatment Plants (ABC Bay Area)
- Flushable Wipes are Clogging Local Pipes (Fox News Bakersfield)
- Flushable Wipes Causing Backups in Sacramento’s Sewer System (CBS Sacramento)
- Don’t Believe Any Wipes “Flushable,” East Bay Agencies Warn (East Bay Times)
- Regulations and Testing Are Needed to Fight “Flushable” Wipes (Environmental Science & Engineering)
- Don’t Believe the Label – “Flushable Wipes” Clog Sewers (The Conversation)
- Are Wet Wipes Wrecking the World’s Sewers? (The Atlantic)
- Wet Wipes Box Says Flush. New York’s Sewer System Says Don’t (New York Times)
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