Do Not Flush Wipes: Flushable Wipes Threaten EBMUD Sewer System
Don’t believe the hype that you can flush that so-called “flushable” wipe. Despite many marketing claims, “flushable” wipes do not breakdown in water.
“The wipes clump together in sewer systems and clog sewage treatment equipment. An independent consumer report in 2014 even found that a “flushable” wipe would not break down in water after being mixed by a kitchen mixer for 10 minutes. That’s not to say that wipes are bad; they’re just not good for the system that cleans our wastewater so it can safely be discharged into the San Francisco Bay.” East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
“Sewer systems and toilets are becoming clogged as too many people are flushing wipes and other cleaning materials.” The Washington Post, March 26, 2020
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/21/flushable-wipes-are-terrible-plumbing/
Flushable wipes can twist and become stronger, clogging pipes and sewer pumps, while attracting other materials to them, creating so-called fatbergs — congealed masses of flushed items that float, destructively, through sewers.
“Wipes are kryptonite — they should not be flushed,” says Barry Orr, who worked with Joksimovic on a 2019 flushability study as a master’s student in environmental applied science and management at Ryerson University. The Ryerson study, which was highly critical of flushability claims for consumer goods, is part of a wider dispute involving consumers, municipalities, the wastewater industry, and manufacturers of personal care and cleaning products.”
Read East Bay MUD here
Read Washington Post here
