People are using more disposable wipes in the last few weeks to clean surfaces in their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, but a reminder is going out from the city of South Haven to only put those in the trash and don’t flush them in the toilet. Sure, there are some baby wipes and others that say on the packaging they’re “flushable,” but city officials say they’re anything but. Wipes don’t have the ability to break down like toilet paper, and wind up clogging home and municipal sewer pipes. They can get hung up on a root, or any imperfection in the pipe, and then start to collect everything else. They can also damage pumps at wastewater treatment plans. The city of South Haven concludes its reminder by saying they “realize everyone is concerned about disinfection, and using disinfection wipes, flushable wipes, and paper towels for this purpose are admirable. However, these items do not belong in the toilet.”
