Flushable wipes commonly found in bathrooms are becoming a growing global problem for sewage systems of cities large and small - and a big headache for public officials whose job it is to care for the sewers and pipes.
While these moist towelettes are labeled and marketed as flushable, officials claim that they are nevertheless highly problematic and result in very costly and environmentally destructive sewer blockages.
Wet wipes are believed to have contributed to a string of serious sewer issues in the Washington, DC area that resulted in huge sums of money being spent on procuring massive shredders to deal specifically with the wipe issue. Many municipalities, utility companies, and plumbers would like nothing more than to see the use of these wipes regulated along with the wording on the packaging adjusted so as not to mislead people.
While flushable wipes are problematic enough on their own what tends to happen is that people assume that regular wipes are flushable too, even when the package doesn’t say so. The concept of flushable wipes, it seems, has changed the consumer’s perception of what can and can not go down the drain.
The wipes can start causing expensive problems for homeowners as soon as they are flushed down the toilet, but when they make it farther along in the sewage system the real trouble begins when they get tangled around motors keeping the sewage flowing. The wipes combine with oil, fat, hair and other debris, eventually developing into a massive mess called a fatberg. Fatbergs are responsible for major blockages in city sewers, costly clogs in local homes, and for environmental damage when raw sewage seeps into rivers and lakes.
While some cities are upping efforts urging residents to stop flushing the offending wipes down the toilet, other cities are taking the fight to the next level. Flushable wipes have spawned class-action litigation suits and cities like NYC and Washington D.C. are trying to pass legislation targeting the marketing of these products.
However, until there is an overwhelming shift in perception as to what is ok to flush, the problem of fatbergs is not likely to abate on an individual or city level.
In the meantime, what is a homeowner to do when faced with a clog? The most eco-friendly and often most cost effective method for dealing with the problem is to have powerful streams of water sprayed at high pressure into pipes to dislodge the sludge and debris, explains Nuflow St. Louis trenchless piping professionals. Since this method, called hydro-jetting, cleans the pipe more efficiently than other methods the clog is unlikely to reoccur. That is, as long as more wet wipes are not flushed down the toilet.
