With the Coronavirus virus having more people staying at home the septic system is under more pressure. Not only by the surge in water usage, but in the increase in antibacterial products killing the beneficial bacteria in the septic tank and by what is getting flushed down the toilet.
An article in the Washington Post, ‘Flushable wipes are terrible for your plumping’, explains. Don’t forget to check out the video from Ask The Builder, ‘Flushable Wipes – Do they Disintegrate?’
The flushable wipes controversy is really a common-sense exercise. If you moisten a single sheet of toilet paper and rub it on your skin or a hard surface, you’ll discover it rapidly falls apart. This is by design. You want toilet paper to disintegrate as fast as possible into the tiny cellulose fibers used to create it.
Try the same experiment with a decent-quality paper towel. You’ll notice that the paper towel tends to hold up and not fall apart.
Once again, this is by design. The paper towel manufacturer wants you to be able to use them to clean up spills and do light-duty cleaning. Never flush paper towels down a toilet.
Finally, do the same test with a flushable wipe. You’ll quickly discover they hold together better than paper towels. Can you imagine what happens if there’s not enough water to transport these through your in-house building drain and outside buried sewer line.
If the wipe or paper material does make it through the curves in the toilet and plumbing system and through the small drainpipe without creating a clog, then it will end up in the septic tank. Where it eventually sinks to the bottom. And since they don’t break down and sit there until the tank is pumped. This means you will need to have your septic tank pumped more often, disruption in the bacteria, and clogs.
