Is it ok to flush baby wipes or wet wipes down the toilet?

This article explains why you should never flush fabrics or any kind into the toilet, including disposable wipes, wet wipes, baby wipes, sanitary napkins, nor dryer sheets.

We include recommended methods for disposing of these products.

This article series includes a list of chemicals, objects, and trash items that it would be should NEVER be flushed down a toilet Cat litter, dryer sheets, disposable diapers, drugs, coffee grounds, & lots of other stuff should not go into the septic tank nor down a drain into a public sewer.

Disposable Wet Wipes are Not Recommended for Flushing Into Toilets

Watch out: Do not flush "disposable" wet wipes, baby wipes, clothes dryer sheets, sanitary napkins, nor any cloth or fabric waste into toilets anywhere, regardless of whether the toilet is connected to public sewer or private septic system.

The problem that flushing causes is expensive clogged drains or sewer or piping systems. These products also clog and damage sewer ejector pumps, and can damage or clog many grinder pumps.

Reporting for The New York Times in 2015, Matt Flegenheimer reported that authorities from New York City's sewer system explain that most wet wipes do not decompose or break down in sewer systems and that they are causing costly clogs of the system.

While many disposable wipes are advertised as "flushable" that may be true only that it is physically possible to flush the wipe down the drain. That does not mean that most disposable wipes won't cause trouble in the sewer system or septic system.

The Times article reported that the flushable property of disposable wipes or "wet wipes" as advertised is

"... a characterization contested by wastewater officials and plaintiffs bringing class-action lawsuits against wipes manufacturers for upending their plumbing." - Flegenheimer (2015).

Wet wipe / disposable wipe solutions

We do not recommend flushing disposable wipes down toilets regardless of whether they are used in care of a baby or used for by adults for personal hygiene.

We recommend using a few squares of dampened toilet tissue instead. This latter approach can be a bit messier but, then, you're supposed to be washing your hands after using the toilet anyway, right?

Alternatively, follow hygiene practices used in many countries outside the U.S. and Canada: dispose of wipes (and toilet paper) in a sanitary trash container kept in the bathroom and maintained for that purpose.

That bagged waste is typically disposed of as garbage and won't enter the plumbing system.

Question: Is there any two chamber tank to catch baby wipes before they go to the pump?

2018/10/09 Roman said:

I have a rental property where the sewer connection requires a grinder pump. The problem is that the renters (weekly vacation rentals) can't be relied on to not flush baby wipes etc.

Which destroys the pump. Is there any two chamber tank to catch the wipes before they go to the pump? A small two compartment septic tank would be great. Any ideas?

Reply: products to keep baby wipes out of sewage grinder pump & macerating sewage pumps handle baby wipes?

The issue as I see it, Roman, is that a tank that separates out baby wipes would also separate out other solids like feces - subverting the original design intent in the first place.

There are grinder pumps with a cutter capable of shredding baby wipes and similar materials.

The problem with that approach is that the non-biodegadable waste formed by shredding baby wipes, tampons, etc. itself clogs and damages private septic systems as well as public sewer systems.

A solution being explored is a combination of grinder/shredder pumps combined with filters that trap the shredded materials downstream. In the references below we cite research and articles describing this dual approach: a macerating grinder pump plus filtration.

In my opinion the wastewater treatment plant approach is not likely to be feasible for a single family rental property.

There are smaller macerating pump systems that may work in a residential setting such as SFA Saniflo's packaged grinder pump cited below.

Watch out: simply adding a macerating pump without filtration on wastewater being disposed of on-site with a private septic system risks serious damage to the system, risking clogging of the drainfield in short order if finely-ground solids or semi-solids remain in suspension and pass into the absorption beds.

In an alternative ou might post signs and take a deposit specifically described as to cover the cost of grinder pump repair or replacement if the tenant doesn't respect the don't flush signs.

It'll add some work but a before-and-after photo-documented inspection combined with a deposit might, un-friendly as it is, be what's required for the case you describe.

Product that Prevents Flushing Disposable Wipes or "Wet Wipes" Down Toilets

Re-posting an interesting product idea that prevents flushing of "disposable" wipes, baby wipes, sanitary products, cloths down the toilet. This comment, with our expansion to provide more information, was posted originally

at TOILET REPAIR GUIDE - home

On 2017-03-24 bmac2014 said:

Stop Wipes And Non-Flushables From Clogging Pipes with The Traptex® Plumbing Protection System.

Excerpting from the company's website: sageproducts.com

The Traptex Guard features small, laser-cut hooks to catch cloths and wipes before they pass into the pipe, while allowing solid waste and toilet paper through. When wipes are caught, they can be safely removed ... [ by a product sold by the company or by other means for those who don't enjoy fishing in the toilet - Ed.]

Contact:

• U.S.A. Sage Products, 3909 Three Oaks Rd., Cary, Illinois 60013 USA, Tel: 1-800-323-2220 Email: GlobalCustomerService@sageproducts.com,
• Switzerland, Sage Products International Office, Rue de Candolle, 17, CH-Geneva 1205, Switzerland, Tel: +41 (0) 22 318 60-22

Pump, Wastewter Treatment & Septic System Problems - "Disposable" Sanitary or Baby Wipes

• Connection, Plumbing (magazine). "Still Not Flushable", iSUBSCRiBE Pty Ltd, Suite 17, 13 Hickson Road, Dawes Point NSW 2000 Australia - 1300 303 619, Summer 2014: 16,18-19, ISSN 1034-3075, Abstract:
  
  Manufacturers of wipes have done a great job of convincing consumers about the hygienic benefits of their products; however, those labelled as 'flushable' are having devastating effects on sewerage systems across the globe.
• "Flushable" Wipes Reportedly Causing Toilet Clogs, Septic Problems, Morgan & Morgan, LLP, - retrieved 15 March 2015, original source: http://www.forthepeople.com/class-action-lawyers/flushable-wipes-lawsuit, Quoting:
  
  The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan are investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of consumers who used flushable wipes and experienced plumbing problems, including toilet clogs.
  
  Although these wipes are often labeled as flushable, biodegradable, and sewer and septic safe, it is believed that some of these products do not actually break down in water and can cause serious plumbing problems.
  
  Reportedly, consumers have spent hundreds of dollars unclogging blocked pipes, while wastewater treatment plants have spent millions repairing and replacing machinery that could not process the wipes.
  [This is a personal injury law firm operating in several U.S. states]
• Force, Jim, How to Solve the Flushable Wipes Problem at Your Plant - Solving the flushable wipes problem requires a two-pronged approach: It begins with public education and ends with proper equipment. Find out how manufacturers are approaching the wipes dilemma.
  
  Cole Publishing, Treatment Plant Operator, TPO Magazine, retrieved 2018/10/09, original source: https://www.tpomag.com/online_exclusives/2015/03/how_to_solve_the_flushable_wipes_problem_at_your_plant [copy on file]
  
  Excerpts:
• Groton Public Works Grinder Pump Frequently Asked Questions [PDF], retrieved 2018/10/09, original source: http://www.groton-ct.gov/depts/pubwks/docs/Grinder%20Pump%20Website%20info%20the%20hurricane.pdf
• JWC Environmental, "Disposable Wipes = clogged sewer pumps! Don’t let your sewage pumps become victims!" [web article] JWC Environmental, Global Headquarters 2850 Red Hill Ave, Suite 125 Santa Ana, CA 92705 USA Phone: (949) 833-3888 Email: jwce@jwce.com - retrieved 2018/10/10, original source: https://www.jwce.com/knowledge-center/wipes-ready-technology-prevents-clogged-sewer-pumps/
  
  Excerpt:
  Clogged sewer pumps has been a problem known to wastewater treatment operators for many years. In the past few decades, the frequency and severity of clogged sewer pumps has increased at an exponential rate.
  
  The problem’s growth has paralleled the rapid growth of use of disposable wipes or flushable wipes used for personal hygiene, household cleaning and infant care. Sewage systems cannot handle the resilient material of flushable wipes.
  
  With the disposable wipes market forecasted to continually grow in the next decade, the issue of clogged sewer pumps due to wipes will not disappear anytime soon.
  
  The expense of pump ragging due to damage, labor to unclog sewer pumps, energy costs to run clogged sewer pumps and the safety risks associated with a clogged sewer pumps dictates a need to address pump ragging due to wipes.
  ...
  Wipes Ready is a suite of technologies designed to capture all wipes in the waste stream and shred them into small pieces that will not reweave into a ragball in sewage systems. And these technologies perform without sacrificing grinder performance.
  
  Conventional two-shafted grinders make long strips out of wipes that reweave into ropes which can cause problems for sewage pumps. Wipes Ready technology generates small pieces that stay in suspension which sewage pumps can easily handle.
  
  The Wipes Ready technologies are: Wipes Ready Cutters Delta P Side Rails Perforated Drums Optimized Cut Control
• Lee, U-Jin, "Flushability of Wipes Spaws Class-Action Lawsuit", ABC News, (March 2014), - retrieved 15 March 2015, original source: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/flushability-flushable-wipes-spawns-class-action-lawsuit/story?id=22759642
  
  Quoting:
  New York doctor has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the makers of "flushable" wipes after experiencing what he claims were major plumbing and clogging issues in his home.
• Mackie, Alec, and Kevin Bates, IT'S THE FIBERS: ATTACKING the WIPES PROBLEM at the PUMP STATION - A three-phase approach to eliminating the clogging, maintenance costs, and safety issues caused by non-dispersibles in the waste stream [PDF]
  
  Water Environment Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Tel: 1-800-666-0206; International 1-571-830-1545., Website: https://www.wef.org/, WE&T Magazine,March 2015 retrieved 2018/10/09 original source: www.jagerinc.com/docs/WET%20Feature%204%20-%20It_s%20the%20fibers%20-%20March_15.pdf
  
  The Water Environment Federation is a not-for-profit association that provides technical education and training for thousands of water quality professionals who clean water and return it safely to the environment.
  
  WEF members have proudly protected public health, served their local communities, and supported clean water worldwide since 1928.
• Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik LLP, "Flushable Wipes Lawsuit", - retrieved 15 March 2015, - original source: http://www.napolibern.com/Environmental-Litigation/Flushable-Wipes.aspx

• Saniflo Grinder Pump [PDF], SFA Saniflo, Inc. 105 Newfield Avenue, Suite A Edison, NJ 08837 USA Toll-Free: 1-800-571-8191Website: www.saniflo.com, retrieved 2018/10/09 original source: www.saniflo.com/upload/pdf/SANIFLO-AIA-PA-2-8-18-SanibestPro-MULTIVIEW.pdf?utm_source=AIA_NJ&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Partner_Mail_03212018
• Top Class Actions, "U.S. and Canadian Experts Challenge Flushable Wipe Claims", Top Class Actions, - retrieved 15 March 2015, original source: http://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/40302-u-s-and-canadian-experts-challenge-flushable-wipe-claims/
  Quoting:
  
  Canada and America are moving toward regulating marketing of “flushable” wipes and setting industry standards for these products, which many individual consumers and wastewater experts allege cause a lot of problems.
  
  Ontario wastewater expert Barry Orr is one Canadian researcher who is spearheading the International Standards Organization’s efforts to outline and enforce flushable wipe standards. He, along with other researchers, is developing flushability tests to vet the marketed sewer and septic safe characteristics of flushable wipe products being sold in North America.
  
  While Canada is leading the charge in regulating the marketing and sale of flushable wipes to better improve water waste, the United States is also addressing this issue, including by pursuing false advertising litigation.
• So What’s Up With Wipes? - Disposable Wipes Blog, promoting a sewage grinder pump, website: https://www.nomorewipes.com/tag/grinder/
  
  This blog chronicles the ever evolving story of wipes in sewer pipes. Baby wipes, cleaning wipes, flushable wipes and healthcare wipes - why all the wipes? Consumers love the convenience and health benefits of them, but flush the wrong wipe and they'll clog pumps and cause sewage back-ups. Yuck!
  
  That's where the Muffin Monster grinder comes in - it loves to grind up wipes so debris flows harmlessly through sewer pumps. Debris is then removed at the treatment plant by screens. Have an opinion on wipes?
• Wipes Ready Technology - retrieved 2018/10/09, https://www.jwce.com/knowledge-center/wipes-ready-technology-prevents-clogged-sewer-pumps/
• TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST introduces the topic of stuff that should not be flushed down drains and into septic systems, and we explain the sorts of problems that can occur: drain clogging, sewage backups into buildings, costly septic system failure, and environmental contamination

...

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• CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home
• TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST - home
• SEWAGE PUMP DAMAGE & REPAIR

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