Flushable wipes not safe to flush

FALLBROOK – Wipes labeled “flushable” aren’t really safe to flush down the toilet, even though most brands purchased at grocery stores have “flushable” printed right on the container.

“The thick material is somewhere between a cloth and toilet paper and doesn’t really break down in the sewage pipelines,” said Keith Lewinger, general manager for the Fallbrook Public Utility District.

That could spell disaster. Since the bulky material doesn’t break down in the underground pipes that transport sewage to the district’s sewage treatment plant on Alturas Road, the result could be a clog, eventually causing back-ups and sewer spills.

The district says flushable wipes are a contributing cause, and perhaps the main cause, of the sewage spill near Alvarado and Vine streets last month.

FPUD and other local water agencies are currently working on legislation to change the wording on the containers.