CAVE CREEK – Just because the product says ‘flushable,” it may not be. Items such as facial and baby wipes, often marketed to consumers as flushable, should not be flushed down a toilet at all. Dealing with baby disinfectant and personal care wipes that have been flushed down toilets is a costly issue for the Cave Creek Utilities Department.
Many of these items marketed as flushable often get caught in the lift-station pumps for wastewater resulting in clogs and increased maintenance expenses. When there is a clog in the pumps, crews must shut down the wastewater line and access lift stations to remove the items from pumps or clear the pipe. Wipes can also clog pipes in a home, which often forces a homeowner to hire a plumber for costly repairs. According to a 2020 national report from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, more than $441 million is spent annually on cleaning out equipment and pipes due to these products.
Unlike toilet paper, flushable wipes don’t disintegrate in water. Because they keep their shape, they get stuck on other debris in your toilet and sewage line, making it harder for waste and water to pass through. The more that builds up, the slower the flow until you eventually end up with a clog. The wastewater collection system is only designed to handle a few basic things: water, human waste, and toilet paper. Flushing anything else can mean big problems for private sewer pipes and the public system. Please do your part and flush only toilet paper.
The Town urges residents to dispose of items other than bodily waste and fluids and toilet paper in trash receptacles. Wrappers, hygiene products, diapers, cat litter, coffee grounds and tea leaves, cotton balls, medications and bandages, condoms or their packaging, oil or grease, and chemicals other than toilet-cleaning solutions should not be flushed down the toilet.
— Submitted by the Town of Cave Creek
