Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(AP) - WIPES IN PIPES: Increasingly popular bathroom wipes _ pre-moistened towelettes that are often advertised as flushable _ are being blamed for creating clogs and backups in sewer systems around the U.S.
MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN: Many wipes labeled flushable aren't breaking down as they course through the sewer system. That's costing some municipalities millions of dollars to dispatch crews to unclog pipes and pumps and to replace and upgrade machinery.
IN YOUR BUSINESS: Rising problems roughly coincide with the ramped-up marketing of the "flushable cleansing cloths" as a cleaner, fresher option than dry toilet paper alone. Wipes are a $6 billion-a-year industry, with sales expected to grow at a rate of 6 percent annually for the next five years.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
