Have We Finally Turned A Corner On The Flushable Wipe Problem?

Flushable wipes have increasingly been a headache for wastewater treatment plant operators, but there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

In a recent settlement with a South Carolina utility, consumer products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Corp. agreed that its Cottonelle wipes that are labeled “flushable” will retool its product to meet wastewater industry standards by next spring. The Charleston Water System filed a lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark and other manufacturers — including Costco, Target, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart, among others — because they say the wipes don’t disintegrate like toilet paper. As a result, wastewater treatment personnel say they have been plagued with blockages largely made of the wipes.