'Simply not flushable': Thousands of pounds of wipes clog Charleston Water System plant

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Unbelievable images on Monday showed a massive backup at a Lowcountry sewer plant from a clog of baby wipes and flushable wipes.

On Tuesday, the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant on James Island was back to normal.

Mike Saia, communication manager with Charleston Water System, said the department hopes people take note of this situation.

"It boils down to the fact that 'flushable' wipes simply are not flushable, they may degrade overtime and they may go down your toilet, but they certainly will block up the plumbing in your home, and wreak a lot of havoc in our system, so we would really appreciate any change that people could make," he said.

When pipes were backed up last Thursday, Charleston Water System hired three divers to collect thousands of pounds of baby wipes over a three-day span.

The wipes are now set aside to dry out before being placed in a wasteland.