New York City: Asswipes Above, Asswipes Below

“With its sewer system under siege, tallying millions of dollars in equipment damage across its underground maze, New York City is confronting a menace that has gummed the gears of plumbing networks around the world: the common wet wipe. In recent years, the intersection of evolving hygienic sensibilities and aggressive industry marketing has fueled the product’s rise. Wet wipes, long used for baby care, have grown popular with adults…. The city has spent more than $18 million in the past five years on wipe-related equipment problems, officials said.” Also: “The dank clusters, graying and impenetrable, gain mass like demon snowballs as they travel.”