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In a report based on testing of 101 single-use wipes, 23 of which were labeled as 'flushable', not a single wipe successfully dispersed or fell apart in the sewer system test.
Testing was performed by the Ryerson's Flushability Lab.
Products which fail the test can clog or degrade household pipes and city sewer systems.
"This research confirms conclusively what those of us in the industry already knew. That single-use wipes, including cleansing and diaper wipes, cannot be safely flushed, even those labelled as 'flushable,'" said report lead Barry Orr, masters student in Environmental Applied Science and Management, and a 25-year veteran Sewer Outreach and Control Inspector with the City of London in Ontario, Canada.
Testing on each wipe was performed by simulating a typical residence's plumbing from toilet to sewer including typical bends and slope, water pressure, and urban infrastructure.
the Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group has estimated that $250 million is spent annually across Canada for operations and maintenance related to the removal of blockages from equipment, due to the flushing of wipes and other non-flushable materials. Many of these wipes also contain synthetic fibres, including plastics, which can make their way into waterways, harming water systems and wildlife.
Orr called for a standard legislated industry-wide definition for the term 'flushable' so that consumers could be informed and make appropriate decisions for their health and to avoid various harms being caused by the term's misleading use today.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @02:03PM (1 child)
> Why do you need to flush them if you have a septic tank? Why not store them directly there?
?? Is this an attempt at humor?
Bought my house 11 years ago, it came with a septic system, the septic tank is basically a settling tank for solids. We open it twice a year to clean off the screen on the tank outlet, which we had installed to prolong the life of the 50+ year old leach field. Basically, no particles over about 1/16 inch (1.5mm) can flow out to the leach field. We have the tank pumped out every ~3 years and so far have been getting the "all OK" report from the company that does the pumping.
If a "flushable" wipe got into the septic tank and floated, there is a good chance it would cover the outlet screen...and we'd have black water in the back yard, and toilets backing up in short order.
Without that screen, the wipe would head down the outlet pipe to the distribution box and, if it got that far, into one of the runners out to the leach field where it would clog one of the branches. With the local rules, we can't repair an old leach field, have to replace with a more modern system like a sand filter = $$$$$ ($10K and up).
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 11 2019, @10:32PM
In the context, yes.
Note that storing "bags of weeds, etc" in the septic tank, presumably bound together in a bag that you can retrieve, would still let your septic system functional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford