Despite the labeling, there is no such thing as a “FLUSHABLE” wipe. And let’s be clear and blunt about this. When a toilet clogs and overflows, it is sewage getting on your floor, and potentially into units next door and below the event.
GROSS! 🙁
These so called “Flushable Wipes” must be discarded with regular garbage. PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH THEM, EVER!
This Spring, and most recently this past Friday, a Unit has flooded multiple times. Our plumber pulled several large wads of sanitary wipes from the main line. The wipes got caught and accumulated at the junction between the main sewer line and the branch-line at their floor. This not only caused widespread wall and flooring damage, but meant there was raw sewage flowing into your neighbor’s home.
Earlier in the Spring, the flooding impacted multiple units, and in the future, the line could very well back up into your unit. ANY LOCATION within Park Tower could be susceptible from the basement all the way up to the 55th floor.
Despite the false advertising and labeling, there is no such thing as a “Flushable Wipe”. Not by any stretch of the imagination and especially in high rise plumbing, where we have miles and miles of drain lines. Wet wipes and the like – yes even those that say “flushable” on the label, can easily get stuck or balled up in the line, and cause YUCKY overflows, flooding and in some cases serious damage to homes.
Above, and below, wads of wipes pulled out of a sewer main. Very sadly this follows a similar event which required the flooring and walls to need replacement.
An even large clump pulled out during the most recent flooding event:
Read more about this, from prior posts.
Also, Unit Owner Carlos Vargas shared the following news story, coming out of California regarding problems with wipes being flushed in San Francisco:
Coronavirus Update: Disinfecting Wipes Being Flushed Down Toilets Causing Major Pipe Problems
We are here to tell you, there is absolutely no such thing as a “Flushable Wipe”. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Especially in high rise plumbing, where we have miles and miles of drain lines. Wet wipes and the like – yes even those that say “flushable” on the label, can easily get stuck or balled up in the line, and cause YUCKY overflows, flooding and in some cases serious damage to homes.
And in this case, you don’t need to take it from me. There is a plethora of information available online, and the verdict is pretty unanimous:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING, as flushable wipes.
From The Plumbing Doctor:
https://www.theplumbingdr.com/use-disposable-wipes-but-dont-flush-them/
From NPR Online:
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/30/567572996/wet-wipes-to-flush-or-not-to-flush
From The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/20/why-you-probably-shouldnt-flush-flushable-wipes/
From The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/are-wet-wipes-wrecking-the-worlds-sewers/504098/
From NBC’s Today Show:
https://www.today.com/series/one-small-thing/are-flushable-wipes-really-flushable-t151945
The list goes on, and as I said, it is unanimous.
So, PLEASE – by all means use wipes if you like, just dispose of them in your garbage. NOT the toilet.
