Experts Warn Against Flushing Wipes Due to Sewage Issues

As COVID-19 continues to spread, we are seeing a new, major and unprecedented problem occurring. Disinfecting wipes and other alternatives for toilet paper, such as flush-able wipes, have been in high demand over the last couple weeks and have been selling out in stores nationwide. But it’s what people are doing with the wipes once they’re done with them that is causing problems. Rather than throwing them away, people are flushing them down toilets and it’s causing major pipe and sewage problems such as blocks, leaks and overall damage. According to California’s water resources control board “flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic”. They’ve warned not even flush-able wipes are safe and are asking people to be more cautious.