Flushable wipes damage sewer systems
As reported by WINY Radio, "flushable" wipes are creating a plumbing nightmare in Killingly CT. Towns and cities across North Stonington, and across the country, are facing multi-million dollar repair bills. This translates to higher taxes for all of us."According to Killingly Town Engineer David
Capacchione, the issue has been occurring more frequently, and has in fact become a problem throughout the entire industry. 'We used to have to clean out once a year, and now it's two to three times a month,' the Town Engineer spoke in regard to Killingly's system.
Capacchione said that he has spoken with members of Water Pollution Control Authorities statewide, who all say that they are experiencing the same issue.
The problem, however, is not one simply isolated to those who have to fix the clogs. 'Quite frankly, the use of these wet wipes is going to cost the Town of Killingly millions of dollars in repair work over the next several years,' Capacchione stated." -- From the WINY Radio Report
What not to flush
No matter what the packaging says, wipes should NEVER be flushed down your toilet. There's also flushable kitty litter out there. Do NOT flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Wipes, feminine products, food, paper towels and kitty litter should be thrown into the garbage. Keep a small trash can visible when you have guests over to avoid confusion. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with clogged pipes, a damaged septic system, overflowing sewer mess, higher tax bills and/or large plumbing repair bills.Septic systems are affected too
The nightmare of flushable wipes doesn't just affect sewer systems. If you have a septic system Capacchione warns that "when [the] septic tanks are pumped out, the contents must be processed through a waste treatment plant as well—so the problem will not go away unless people make the conscious decision to properly discard baby wipes in the trash." Below is one of the plumbing repairs we here at Rapid Service LLC had to fix due to wipes being flushed in a septic system:
