With toilet paper in short supply due to consumer hoarding during the coronavirus COVID-19 emergency, the county is asking residents to not flush so-called flushable wipes, paper towels or paper napkins down the toilet.
With toilet paper in short supply due to consumer hoarding during the coronavirus COVID-19 emergency, the county is asking residents to not flush so-called “flushable wipes,” paper towels or paper napkins down the toilet.
According to Bill Kucharski, director of environmental management, the increase in the use of these products have put an added strain on the island’s wastewater plants and sewers at the worst possible time.
Kucharski said since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a significant increase in the use of cleansing wipes in homes and offices. Although the packaging states that the wipes are “flushable,” they should not be flushed.
“These wipes are made with micro-plastics and do not dissolve in the waste water,” Kucharski said. “They stay whole after being flushed.”
Additionally, the structure of the wipes lends itself to clinging to and catching on rough pipe interiors and in pump stations, which push wastewater to the sewage treatment plants.
Kucharski said this can result in the ultimate blockage of the sewer, and a blocked sewer can then cause your toilet and drains to back up.
“The people who work every day keeping our sewer systems working need your help now more than ever, and so please dispose of these wipes in your trash, not in your toilets, “Kucharski said.
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