Two representatives from EurEau, the voice of Europe’s drinking water and wastewater service operators, Oliver Loebel and Maxime Bineau, discuss the growing concern with plastics polluting the water supply and the problem wipes serve in the debacle.

“The SUP [Single Use Plastics] Directive proposed by the European Commission is an opportunity to mitigate marine plastic pollution, and improve the general state of our environment. While this goal is laudable, effective measures are also needed to prevent another kind of insidious pollution, closer to the European consumer.”

The article goes on to challenge the Directive as it points out its flaws in failing to combat a major source of plastics in the water – “flushable” wet wipes: “The SUP Directive fails to tackle the impact of some SUP on our waste water infrastructure. Some plastics can find their way through water pipes through user behaviour or inappropriate labelling by manufacturers.”

Loebel and Bineau point out the fact that many manufacturers falsely advertise wet wipes as “flushable”, when in reality the majority of the products contain plastic fibers to help them resist breakdown in aqueous solutions. In fact, in the UK, 75% of identifiable pipe-clogging material was found to be from wet wipes alone. The authors also bring up an important point – even if wipes were indeed able to break down once flushed, they would still pose a significant threat to marine life and human health- “If wet wipes really were to decompose as claimed by manufacturers, they would release a substantial amount of micro-plastics into waste water, contaminating sewage sludge or worse, be emitted directly into the environment.”

Read the full article here.

100-Foot Mass Excavated from Major Metropolitan City Sewer

Another massive fatberg has reared its ugly head in a major city in the United States – but this time, the city of Detroit plans to use it as a huge teaching lesson. Earlier this month, public works officials in Macomb County discovered a 100-foot long, 11-foot wide, and 6-foot tall clump of baby wipes, fat and grease imbedded into the sewer; the largest fatberg ever recorded in the 27 cities and townships that make up Macomb County in Michigan.

But this story has a happy ending: public works officials plan to display the fatberg at an upcoming press conference at the Clintondale Pump Station in efforts to educate homeowners and businesses about the dangers of flushing wipes and other non-flushables down the sewers.

Read the full story, here.

Retail giants Target, Walmart, Costco and CVS are under fire after multiple allegations of “flushable” moist wipes clogging sewers.

A homeowners association located in New York claims that several brands of wet wipes have single-handedly caused the state $18 million in damages PER YEAR. The HOA is suing the manufacturers and retailers until the labels on the packages are removed or until the wipe composition is changed to actually be flushable.

Read the full article here.

UK to introduce sanitary bins to men’s restrooms after wet wipes wreak havoc in London’s Victorian sewage pipes.

Surprise! Men, you may begin seeing sanitary bins in public restrooms across the UK very soon. In the past, trash receptacles were believed to only be necessary in women’s restrooms for sanitary product disposal. However, after the damage that London has experienced recently with the fatberg clog in London’s Victorian sewage system, the Greater London Assembly’s Environmental Committee has deemed it necessary to begin introducing trash receptacles into men’s restrooms to provide a place to toss their wet wipes and non-flushables.

“Across the UK, more than 11bn wet wipes are used a year, up by a quarter from five years ago, and many people are unaware that they can’t be flushed. About 4bn disposable nappies are used, and sales of unflushable incontinence products, for men as well as women, has gone up by 50% to more than 1bn a year as the population ages. And in most public loos and toilets in restaurants, bars or offices, men have nowhere to dispose of such items except down the pan.”

Read the full article.

Utility company, Welch Water, heads underground for deep excavations in the city of Cardiff Bay to begin 5 month fatberg clearing project.

A giant greaseball mixed with trash, including wet wipes, has clogged the city sewer in Cardiff Bay, Wales. Engineers are launching the excavation project of the underground clog which is said to cost a whopping £2million and take approximately 5 months to clear.

During this extended period of time, Welch Water warns nearby businesses of possible odor problems as they work to remove the blockage.

Sewage clogs from fatbergs and wet wipes cost the UK approximately £80million per year to clear the obstructions.

What exactly are ‘Fatbergs’?

Fatbergs are blockages made up of flushed fat, oil, grease and other flushed waste such as wet wipes and illegal drugs. They form into huge concrete-like slabs and can be found beneath almost every UK city, growing larger with every flush. They also include food wrappers and human waste, blocking tunnels – and raising the risk of sewage flooding into homes.

Read the full article, here:

A group of researchers in the UK analyzed the materials in ‘Flushable’ Wet Wipes and came to an astonishing conclusion.

Hemda Garelick, professor of chemistry at Middlesex University, led her team of research scientists on an in-depth study of the materials used in wet wipes labeled as ‘flushable’. The team originally conducted the study to confirm that the components of the products were biodegradable, as advertised. For wipes to be truly flushable, they must contain only cellulose, a form of wood pulp that is biodegradable.

The result of the study came as a shock as the scientists uncovered polyester, high-density polyethylene and polyethylene/vinyl acetate (AKA plastic) in some of the wet wipes labeled as ‘flushable’.

What’s more: Not only does this microplastic fiber contribute to the detrimental sewage clogs in the world today, it’s also going full circle and ending up in oceans and then being consumed by us humans in the seafood we eat.

Read the full article, here.

Wet wipes and other unflushables (read: garbage that people tend to think is ok flush down the toilet) are wrecking havoc on municipal sewer systems. But with the increase in personal wipes usage and the growing popularity from convenience of wipes, people often disreagard the “Don’t Flush” warning and do it anyways. But what happens when we flush wipes, and what makes them not flushable?

The biggest problem with the wipes is that they are “nondispersible,” which means they will not break apart as soon as the toilet is flushed and completely break up within five minutes, like toilet paper does. These products are made of nonwoven fabrics manufactured by entangling fibers in a sheet or web structure and bonding them mechanically, chemically or thermally. The fibers are not knitted or woven as conventional fabrics are. This makes them very durable, and that is great for many other uses, but not good for flushing down the toilet.

Marked flushable or not, the only things meant to be safely flushed down the toilet is human waste and toilet paper. To reduce the urge to throw anything else in the toilet, try keeping a trash can next to it in the restroom. That way you are reminded daily and have another convenient option right in front of you!

Read the full article here.

Yep, you read that correctly… a 250-meter-long mass weighing 130 metric tons has blocked a Victorian-era sewer tunnel in the east side of London.

The mass is a concrete-hard amalgamation of flushed items, including condoms, diapers, and—most notably—wet wipes that have all been cemented together with oils and fats that were also washed down drains. It is expected to take 3 weeks to remove the entire mass from the sewer tunnel. And while this may be the largest fatberg reported to date, there are some close runners-up: In 2013, English authorities found a 10-metric-ton “bus-sized” fatberg in another English sewer that cost £400,000 to remove.

When asked for their input on the matter, the wipes industry quickly turned the spotlight away from themselves by claiming that the “flushable” items go through rigorous tests and are not the problem- they say the clogs are caused by other items that are being flushed down that were never intended to be flushed in the first place. However, the people directly dealing with the problem have quite a different outlook:

“It’s an exaggeration to say that it’s not the flushable wipes causing the problems,” – Cynthia A. Finley Director of regulatory affairs, National Association of Clean Water Agencies

Read the full article, here.

The wet wipe industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds, all while problems at wastewater treatment plants are becoming near impossible to flush away.

Technical Service Manager, Bill Cyrus, of a northern Texas wastewater treatment plant comments on the problem first hand:

“The rag issue is going up, up, up, up, up. That industry has gone up exponentially in the last five to six years.”

Meanwhile – the wipes industry has been struggling along side lawmakers in deciding what flushable really means. Now that the issue is in the hands of the federal court, Kimberly-Clark is clapping back against labeling laws saying that it’s not flushable wipes that are causing the problem, it’s non-flushable wipes and trash causing the mayhem. According to the wet wipe giant, they have spent nearly two decades and millions of dollars on creating a flushable wipe made of wood pulp, instead of plastics, that break down and disperse after they’ve been flushed. Sadly, according to Bill Cyrus, while some of the wipes do in fact degrade, the majority of these wipes deemed “flushable” still aren’t good enough and they’re making matters worse.

Read the full story, here.

Shitten Mittens might be a joke to some but those in wastewater treatment plants, Shittens can cause major concerns.  The non-flushable gloves used for baby blowouts are flushed down our sewage systems creating giant fatbergs. Yes, poop is gross but giant fatbergs clogging our sewer systems is even worse! The only way to get rid of these giant fatbergs is to educate the public on how harmful non-biodegradable material is to our sewers.

Next time you flush a “non-flushable” wipe down the toilet think twice – its a toilet, not a trash can!

Read the full article here.

The wet wipes industry has been under fire in the past few years.  The most recent lawsuit in D.C. that has landed on Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s desk is cautionary labeling of flushable and non-flushable wipes. Boasberg issued a preliminary injunction preventing a single manufacturer to be targeted by the labeling law and stated that it was violating the First Amendment.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson was surprised by the ruling and said  “It’s no more of a First Amendment issue, I would think, than telling tobacco companies what they have to put on packages of cigarettes,” Mendelson said.

Read the full article here.

The multibillion-dollar wet wipes industry has been expanding in the recent decade.  All the non-flushable wipes being flushed down the toilet are creating huge issues for the wastewater systems across the nation.

Many people use the wet wipes for convenience but fail to realize the consequences once the wipes have been flushed down the toilet.  The combination of grease, wipes, hair and other items create “Fatbergs”, which are massive globs of congealed cooking fat with wipes, and they are taking over!

The federal court has recently been involved with whether to classify wipes as flushable or non-flushable and how to label them correctly. Hopefully, in the coming year, the federal courts will help to minimize the wipes problem.

Read the full article here!

With over 300,000 sewage blocks per year in the UK and counting, it is time to make a change on how we dispose of “non-disposable” products.  Many are avoiding the warning signs and fail to realize that 93% of all sewage clogs are from “non-disposable” wipes.  Baby wipes, surface wipes and feminine hygiene wipes are just a few categories that are creating these massive clogs. Not only is it causing a nasty mess but the sewage spills are impacting the environment.  Do you want raw sewage in your community? Next time you flush wipes, remember, it’s a toilet, not a trash can!

Read more about this topic dailymail.com or burtonmail.com.

While flushable wipes are a convenient and easy answer for users, they cause big problems for local utility workers and an even BIGGER problem for the sewage lines! It is time to start sticking to your 3 Ps people! Tens of thousands of dollars are spent in Clark County Water Reclamation District unclogging sewage lines from flushable wipes annually and the Clark County is tired of it! “The reclamation district has a campaign aimed at educating the public about not flushing wipes and other items like prescription pills called Pain in the Drain.” Read more about it here….

A fatberg in the Baltimore sewage system got a mention in a recent “Saturday Night Live” “Weekend Update” segment.  “Maintenance workers in Baltimore say they have cleared an 140-ton ‘fatberg’ from the sewer system, which is made up of congealed fat and waste that will not break down,” “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost said.  “So good news, Baltimore:  The McRib is back.”   The Baltimore fatberg has been growing and was recently contributed to a 1.2 million gallon sewage overflow.  Work is in process to upgrade and to increase the capacity of the Baltimore sewer collection and treatment systems to prevent these types of overflows in the future.

Read more HERE.

The flushable wipes industry is going to court over a new D.C. law mandating wipes can be labeled “flushable” only if they break apart in a short period of time after being flushed in typical sewer conditions.  Kimberly-Clark Corporation, which manufacturers Cottonelle, Scott Naturals and Pull-Ups flushable wipes alleges the law is unconstitutional because it tries to regulate businesses beyond the city.  The law takes effect January 1, 2018 and comes in response to the more than $50,000 a year D.C. Water spends to clear clogs caused by wipes with additional expenses to repair equipment damages by the wipes.  Learn more here…

The City of Perry, Iowa has dropped its class action lawsuit against flushable wipes producers.

Since the lawsuit filing in 2015, Perry has not experienced any clogs or increased maintenance costs attributable to flushable wipes.  Perry also admitted that none of its personnel were able to identify any flushable wipes manufactured by select companies in the city’s plumbing or wastewater systems.  Perry dropped the lawsuit without receiving any compensation for alleged damages.  Dave Rousse, president of INDA, the Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, states “years of testing and field collection studies have shown that flushable wipes are not causing municipal clogs or increased maintenance.”

Recent collection studies in New York City, Maine, and California corroborated the statement.  Those studies showed more than 98% of the items examined were not labeled or designed to be flushed, including baby wipes, surface cleaning wipes, paper towels as well as additional trash items.  INDA is committed to educating consumers about proper disposal of non-flushable wipes through improved labeling and educating customers of the consequences of flushing these products.

So, wipes remain a problem for sewer system – and the flushable wipes industry wants to clarify that it is the non-flushable wipes that cause those problems.

Read more here.

Yorkshire Water is calling out the towns with the highest number of blockages caused by wipes. The towns of Huddersfield, Wakefield, Sheffield, Barnsley and Morley are at the bottom of the list. Yorkshire Water is called out to more than 30,000 sewer blockages every year, costing £2.4 million. In an effort to reduce the number of sewer blockages, Yorkshire Water has launched a new campaign, Yorkshire Loves a Binner. The campaign will run across social media and includes targeted activity in areas where wipes are the biggest cause of regular sewage blockages. The Yorkshire Water Yorkshire Loves a binner! website reminds people to only flush the three Ps (pee, poo and paper), shares do’s and don’ts to prevent sewer blockages, and has video of actual blockages. Yorkshire is rooting for a lot of binners.

Read the article, here.

As if you need more evidence of consumer’s love for wipes, here’s 11 uses for baby wipes that do not include wiping a baby’s bottom.  As if you need evidence baby wipes should not be flushed down the toilet, the second use mentions “some brands of baby wipes…can be laundered and reused as dust cloths and cleaning rags”.  If a baby wipe can withstand laundering, you can imagine the havoc it can cause in the sewage system where the expectation is material degrades during transit?  What’s your favorite use for baby wipes?

Read On!

Wastewater offices are urging people to throw away wipes after using them, not flush them down the toilet.  Flushable wipes might be flushable, but are not biodegradable, and are clogging sewer systems in metro Detroit.  Wipes caused problems with pumps in a long-term, temporary sewer bypass that caused a sinkhole resulting in three condemned houses and curbed water usage.

Read more here

Don’t forget to WATCH the short video referenced in the article.  The fun, two-minute public service announcement by Oakland County officials shows that although the toilet was a great invention, it wasn’t meant to flush everything.