If You Use Flushable Wipes, You Might Be Part Of A City Problem

Do you use the flushable wipes in the bathroom?  If you live in Grand Rapids, you may be contributing to a major problem in the city.

The Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department is reminding residents that you can’t just throw anything in your toilet. City officials say they are spending thousands of extra dollars a month on emergency sewer repair, because the "flushable" wipes people use are clogging pipes.

Mike Lunn, the department’s manager told MLive:

"These wipes, a lot of them don't really dissolve in the systems like toilet paper does. They build up in the wet well and my guys have to chop them up to get them out."

There are other things the E.D.S. wants to remind you not to flush down the toilet as well, including: paper towels, tissues, disposable diapers, feminine hygiene products and dental floss.

2013 was the first time they started the message of “No Wipes in the pipes”, letting residents know not to flush the disposable wipes. Lunn says his department really hasn’t seen a decline in the problem.

In question to whether the city is trying to ban the wipes, Lunn says they’re not looking to ban the wipes but are working with national groups to seek legislation that would define the word “flushable” to mean more than simply being able be flushed. He says it should mean whether or not it can actually break down within the pipes.