WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It might be easy to simply flush those “flushable wipes” down the toilet, but in reality, it can cause serious problems. Just because you can flush it, doesn’t mean you should flush it.

“When a company puts the word ‘flushable’ on a packet of wipes, what they mean is that it literally they will flush down your toilet, that does not mean it should flush down your toilet. Once it gets into the sewer main; it can clog with other issues like fats, oils and grease that are being put down kitchen sinks and cause really big problems for our community, ” said Cammie Bellamy, Assistant Public Information Officer with Cape Fear Utility Authority.

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority says because the wipes don’t break down like toilet paper does, they’re dealing more clogs.

Trevor Hatem, CFPUA Senior Collections Equipment Operator, explains what happens when items like toilet paper and wipes are sent into the sewer system.