There’s a lot more cleaning, wiping, and disinfecting going on in the COVID-19 era than during normal times in the past.

For the most part, that is a good thing for public health.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is warning of a developing problem related to all that wiping.

“Sewage treatment facilities have been dealing with an increase in non-flushable materials clogging filters and equipment since the beginning of the stay-at-home orders in March,” according to DEP. “DEP is encouraging all Pennsylvanians to only flush toilet paper and human waste, not disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items that should be disposed of in the trash.”

“Having fully-operational wastewater services is critical to containing COVID-19 and protecting Pennsylvanians from other public health risks,” according to DEP. “DEP thanks wastewater staff and utilities for their dedication, courage, and continuing efforts at a time when resources may be stretched thin. Pennsylvania’s wastewater employees are local heroes on the front line of protecting human health and the environment every single day.”

‘Non-flushable’ includes ‘flushable’ wipes.

“They’re not flushable at all,” City of Warren Public Works Superintendent Joe Reinke said. “They are not biodegradable. You should not flush them.”

“People are home. People are using more wipes,” Reinke said. “People think in their minds that it’s ok to do so. It can wreak havoc on our system.”

North Warren Municipal Authority System Manager Rusty Van Epps said flushable wipes have been a problem.

“That’s been going on for years,” Van Epps said. “Those things don’t dissolve. It was plugging up pumps, valves, everything.”

Flushable wipes played a role in the authority’s decision to go through with a multi-million dollar upgrade that was completed in December. “That’s why we did it.”

Now, “We have a new system at our headworks,” Van Epps said. “It’s a revolving screen that takes all that stuff out.”

The City of Warren does not have a flushable wipe problem at its sewer plant.

“Due to the grinders that we have at our pump stations, we’re not seeing them,” Reinke said. “All of our grinders are doing their job.”

The plant is not the only place flushable wipes could cause problems.

Reinke spoke with a line cleaner about the situation on Wednesday.

“He is out cleaning lines on a daily basis,” Reinke said. “He is seeing an influx of lines in our system being clogged with more wipes. It is affecting our system.”

“Flushing things that aren’t meant to be flushed can damage your own sewer pipes as well as the sewer treatment facilities that we all depend on,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. “Even so-called ‘flushable’ wipes shouldn’t be put in the toilet.”

The city has people out cleaning lines and those lines are bigger than the ones moving sewage from homes to the public system. Problems at the house or in the lateral are the homeowner’s responsibility.

“You have a better chance of clogging your lateral than our lines,” Reinke said. “Toilet paper breaks down. Those wipes do not. They build up quick.”

“Flushing or dumping the wrong things down the drain can cause blockages in your own home or business as well as problems in the local sewer system,” according to DEP. “These products do not break down like toilet paper and can clog systems very quickly. Many sewer blockages occur between your house or business and the sewer main, where the property owner is responsible for correcting and paying for the repair.”