Wipes Clog Pipes - Don't Flush!

City of Rochester Publics Works Department Reminds Residents: Don’t Flush Your Cleaning Wipes Down the Toilet!

There are many things the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you do to help stop or slow the spread of COVID-19, including cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Though using cleaning or disinfecting wipes can be an easy and effective way to do that, City of Rochester Public Works Department wants to remind you that you should not flush those wipes down the toilet when you’re done.

“Wipes and other thick paper products can severely impact sewer pipes in your neighborhood and damage septic systems, causing blockages & overflows into your home,” City Services Director Peter Nourse states. “Sewer overflows create an additional public health risk in the midst of the COIVD-19 pandemic!”  The presence of these products in our sewer system causes dysfunction and increases the exposure of our employees to bio-hazards.

The city also reminds you of some other things you should not flush down the toilet, including cotton swabs, dental floss, feminine products, or kitty litter. Basically, the only thing that should be going in your toilet is bodily waste and toilet paper.