Disposable wipes are not disposable

By Diane Hettrick

Lake Forest Park has joined every city in Puget Sound and probably in the United States in asking residents not to flush so called "disposable" wet wipes down the drain.

The city of Kirkland placed a temporary reader board in the middle of the road for a month telling people not to flush wet wipes.

At a time when people who don't even go out are obsessively wiping down every surface in their homes for fear of COVID-19 germs, they are flushing those wipes down the toilet.

"But it says 'disposable' on the package!"

Here's what happens to those wipes.

They end up in a massive clog in wastewater systems and the utilities - in this case, Lake Forest Park Public Works - have to get them out.

Public Works has responded to a number of sanitary sewer related issues involving disinfecting wipes and other products labeled “Flushable.”Disinfecting wipes, facial tissues, baby wipes and paper towels should be disposed of in the trash.

No wipes in pipes.