The Problem With Baby Wipes & Man-Man "Flushable" Products

Just about all parents use baby wipes to change the diapers of their newborn babies. While baby wipes are still primarily used for children, use of baby wipes among adults is quickly rising. In fact, many adults are using these man-made "flushable" products instead of toilet paper. However, while advertisements may claim that these products are "flushable," baby and adult wipes actually pose a major problem.

The Problem with Baby Wipes & Man-Made "Flushable" Products

A few years ago, the city of Wyoming filed a class-action suit against Nice-Pak, Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble, and a few other manufacturers of wet wipes for claiming that their products can be flushed down the toilet. When wet wipes go down the toilet, they leave the home via a lateral pipe, which leads to the public sewer system. The sewage pumps in the sewer system work to ensure the wastewater continues to flow in the right direction.

However, while toilet paper disintegrates with time, wet wipes do not. Over time, wet wipes clog the sewage pumps and break them down. This results in stagnant wastewater going back to the homes. When this occurs, cities need to shut down sewer systems to remove the wet wipes manually.

In order for a wet wipe to be deemed "flushable," it needs to pass seven different tests. However, these tests do not accurately simulate sewer conditions. Also, these tests are not regulated by the government and manufacturers don't face any consequences if their products fail to pass these tests. Many cities like Wyoming hope to change this to stop wet wipes from hindering the functionality of public sewer systems.

Bottom line, be careful with flushable products as they may not breakdown as well as they should and cause major problems with the sewer system.

For more information about the sewer system and what can and cannot be flushed, contact the team at JETT Pump and Valve today. 

 

Variable Frequency Drives 101

Utilizing pumps on a regular basis can be a costly operation; they can run for hours at a time and require a tremendous amount of power to run. We all know (or might not know) that energy efficiency starts with motor speed control. To keep things...

IWAKI AIR AODD Pumps now at JETT Pump

  JETT Pump & Valve, LLC now proudly distributes IWAKI AIR! Iwaki Air AODD pumps or Air Operated Diaphragm pumps are engineered for maximum utility. They are portable and easy to install, operate, and maintain. Infinitely variable...

How to Read Pump Curves

Pump Curves for Pump Selection 101 For those in the pump industry, learning how to read a pump curve or performance curve can be incredibly useful if not downright necessary. For us here at JETT Pump, one of the ways we apply our knowledge...

What Happens After the Flush

What Happens After the Flush? “Outta sight, outta mind” is the attitude most of us have when flushing a toilet. We don’t want to think about it or ask about it, but someone has to answer it. So what really happens after you...

#TBT JETT Pump Solves Clogging

Costly Clogging Problem Solved by Barnes SH Pumps #TBT Throwback Thursday! Back in 2010 the City of Inkster, MI was experiencing persistent recurring clogging- almost every 48 hours! And sometimes after only ten minutes of being unclogged!! The...

Preventative Motor Testing

JETT Pump & Valve, LLC Adds Preventative Motor Testing Waterford, MI March 1, 2016, JETT Pump & Valve, LLC is pleased to announce that they have added a new manufacturer, ALL-TEST Pro, LLC to their extensive product line. This new...

Walchem Liquidation Sale

Walchem On Sale - Going on NOW! Check out the start of our Walchem Liquidation Sale on eBay! There are some new in box older model metering pumps posted right now, take a look! JETT Pump on eBay    

Learning About Lift Stations

Lift Stations: The Basics JETT Pump & Valve, LLC provides a variety of services for municipal, industrial, and commercial customers. Lift stations are commonly our patients for the services we preform. Most people are not familiar with what a...

7 Deadly Toilet Sins

Don't Flush This! The universe gave us both toilets and trash cans, and each are to be used responsibly! When you flush things down the toilet, they simply don’t just disappear. By doing so, you are allowing it to enter into the...

Welcome to Our New Website!

We've added great new features and updated our content to bring you the most up to date information about our company.  Check back often for updates.
Page: 123 - All