Don’t flush disinfecting wipes down the toilet, please

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Don't flush disinfecting wipes down the toilet, please
Image credit: West County Wastewater District

Keep your wipes out of the pipes.

That’s the message from the West County Wastewater District, which is echoing a call by the California State Water Resources Control Board imploring citizens not to throw disinfecting and paper towels in the toilet.

“It’s important to remember that only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet,” according to WCWD.

Other items, including wipes (even the ones advertised as “flushable,” along with floss and hygiene products, can block the sewage system and cause overflows into homes and streets. The blockages can cause environmental hazards including contaminated rivers, lakes and streams and beach closures.

According to state officials, wastewater treatment facilities around the state are reporting issues with their sewer management collection system due to the problem of wipes, paper towels and similar products being flushed down the toilet.

Wipes, the leading cause of sewer system backups, along with paper towel don’t break down like toilet paper and clog systems quickly.