The United State Environmental Protection Agency is urging Americans not to flush disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items that should be disposed of in the trash.
Toilet paper is designed to move without issue from toilets to plumbing, sewer systems, and septic systems while people attempting to flush disinfecting wipes could damage plumbing and cause backups.
Fixing these backups is costly and takes time and resources away from the essential mission of wastewater treatment systems and employees which is to provide clean and reliable water to everyone who needs it.
The EPA agrees with people taking extra precautions through the frequent use of disinfecting wipes but they should be disposed of properly and not in a way that results in additional damage.