‘Flushable' Wipes Clog Ocean City's Sewer System

The growing use of flushable wipes is causing headaches for the people who run Ocean City's sewer system.

The Daily Times reports that the toilet paper substitutes are advertised as safe for toilets, but they can cause problems in the rest of the sewer system.

While toilet paper is designed to fully dissolve within minutes, some brands of wipes don't break down even after hours. That means they can cause sewer clogs, backups and overflows. The buildup of such debris can even clog the sewer system's pumping stations.

Now several times every week, Ocean City workers have to rake out baskets full of flushed wipes to keep some pumping stations flowing.

City officials say they plan to continue updating the system with shredder pumps to accommodate people using wipes.