Our sewers are clogged, but flushable wipes are not the culprit

Despite coast-to-coast talk about potholed roads, collapsing bridges and an antiquated air traffic control system, one infrastructure problem remains a puzzle — well-publicized backups in some municipal sewer systems around the nation, and charges that the cause is a recently popular personal hygiene product: moist flushable wipes.

To many municipal sewer managers, flushable wipes are a frivolous private luxury that generates serious public maintenance bills. But those who rely on them – including mothers and caregivers like myself — don't see it that way. Effectively banning sewer-compatible wipes by banning the "flushable" label (as the D.C. City Council has done and other city councils and state legislatures may yet do) is the wrong solution to the wrong problem.

We who have cared for the very young and very old have long understood the not-so-frivolous utility of flushable wipes for these vulnerable loved ones. We nod when we hear doctors praising their role in maintaining the health and dignity of movement-constrained patients.

For example, Detroit-area OB-GYN Dr. Jonathan Zaidan recently told a local reporter that these products can be far from trivial conveniences. "[F]or an older woman, for instance," he said, "you probably don't realize how difficult something can be until your mobility is compromised, and that convenience is actually a big deal." He added that flushable wipes can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections, among other conditions, for seniors who may be unable to be thorough with traditional cleaning methods.

He isn't alone in this view. Dr. A. Nicky Hjort — an OB-GYN from Carmel, Calif. — advocates using wet wipes, in addition to staying hydrated, to safeguard women's health and prevent UTIs. Vulnerability to UTIs is a big deal for women, who suffer the condition four times more frequently than men. It is often forgotten that it is of particular concern to elderly women. UTIs exacerbate the symptoms of dementia and may even bring on the condition in some women.