NOTICE: Do Not Flush Wipes

You may have seen all the ads on TV lately for “flush able” wipes. Well, it turns out that isn’t exactly the right word to use. That’s because, like a lot of other items would, they’ll flush but they don’t ever dissolve.

The Public Works Department says these wipes don’t break down in water, so their treatment plant has to use equipment to pull plastic, wipes (even flush able) rubber gloves, rags, or paper towels out because our sewer system is not designed to handle these items, sometimes their equipment gets clogged or broken by all the wipes and other trash.

But it’s just not their stuff you should be worried about. Clogged wipes can also cause plumbing problems in a home and back up sewer lines, which is not a pretty sight or smell.

Only toilet paper should be flushed. Wipes are actually a felt material and they never break down, just like plastic. “They stay in the environment forever”.