OTTAWA - They're billed as a fresh, clean alternative to toilet paper -- but waste-water utilities across Canada say personal wipes are creating putrid sewage clogs that are costing Canadian ratepayers at least 250 million dollars a year.
The Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group, comprised of 25 Canadian communities, wants a federal standard to ensure more honest labelling of the wipes and other products that they insist are not safe to send down the toilet.
Among them -- supposedly flushable toilet cleaning sponges, tampon applicators and even plush, multi-ply toilet paper.
Experts say these products don't disintegrate, creating serious problems as they work their way through aging sewage systems on their way to treatment plants.
Manufacturers, meantime, say the wipes are getting the bum's rush from waste-water officials and are perfectly safe to flush.
