Wet Wipes Box Says Flush. New York’s Sewer System Says Don’t.
In recent years, the intersection of evolving hygienic sensibilities and aggressive industry marketing has fueled the products rise. Wet wipes, long used for baby care, have grown popular with adults.
Some of the products are branded as flushable a characterization contested by wastewater officials and plaintiffs bringing class-action lawsuits against wipes manufacturers for upending their plumbing.
Often, the wipes combine with other materials, like congealed grease, to create a sort of superknot. Theyre really indestructible, said Vincent Sapienza, a deputy commissioner for the citys Department of Environmental Protection. I guess thats the purpose.
The city has spent more than $18 million in the past five years on wipe-related equipment problems, officials said. The volume of materials extracted from screening machines at the citys wastewater treatment plants has more than doubled since 2008, an increase attributed largely to the wipes.