Turns out, you can't believe everything you're told.

With toilet paper continuing to be a scarce commodity, consumers are turning to alternatives like “flushable wipes” at the expense of the county's waste water facilities.

“We tell this to our third- graders who take tours of the facility, only three things should be flushed down the toilet, and those are the 3 Ps — poop, pee, and toilet paper,” said Mike Sedon, manager of plant operations at the Brush Creek Wastewater Plant in Cranberry Township.

Sedon noticed about three weeks ago, just as the state was enacting coronavirus precautions, that his facility was getting a marked increase in flushable wipes. Though the packaging on toilet paper alternatives may say they are flushable, Sedon cautioned against doing that.

“The confusion lies because everybody believes what they read. Just because it's flushable, doesn't mean you should. It won't biodegrade,” Sedon said, explaining how treatment facilities are living ecosystems designed to sustain bacteria that can break down human waste and toilet paper.

Anything else — like wet wipes or your dead pet fish — disturbs that delicate balance.

Sedon noted flushable wipes are designed to retain moisture whereas toilet paper is made to break down when it hits water.

“Those wipes are engineered to not breakdown. They're not dry. They have that little bit of moisture so they're built to withstand water exposure and that's not good for anybody,” Sedon said.

Fortunately, Sedon said, the Brush Creek Treatment Plant on Powell Road recently underwent a $50 million expansion, allowing it to handle this sudden increase in toilet debris. The facility has a “bar” that sifts items out of the soiled water that won't deteriorate in the facility.

“We have machinery designed to remove things out of water. Any debris, our bar screen gets anything out. We see golf balls, plastic toys, fish, all kinds of things,” Sedon said.

But the problem, he noted, is that these wipes can clog a home's plumbing line too, causing a backup for residents.

“Eventually they'll learn the hard way, something will get stuck and cause a backup on their sanitary line. It will get you sooner or later,” Sedon said.

He noted clearing up the sewer lines could cost people thousands of dollars and with the governor's order to close all nonessential businesses, people in need of repair may find it hard to get a professional to take care of the problem.

Mike Davidson, manager of Breakneck Creek Regional Authority, which covers Adams Township and other areas, isn't surprised by the reported increase in “flushable” wipes.

The authority, which has its own waste treatment facility, has contended with these wipes “since they were invented,” Davidson said.

He noted that for his facility, pump stations will sometimes get clogged with the wipes and other unnatural debris, requiring authority personnel to go out and unclog it.

“It's been a general problem overall,” Davidson said. “They're unaware that this is an issue until their toilet clogs. The best advice is, don't get fancy with what you use down there.”