They're billed as a fresh, clean alternative to toilet paper — but waste-water utilities across Canada including here in Cranbrook say personal wipes are creating sewage clogs.

Consumer Reports tested several brands of wipes labelled flushable and found that while toilet paper broke down after about eight seconds, the wipes showed no sign of disintegrating after 30 minutes in a toilet-flushing simulator.

Residents may consider it an out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation. People expect to flush things down the toilet and then don't want to think about it anymore.  While those personal wipes may swirl down the toilet with ease, experts say they don't disintegrate, creating serious problems as they work their way through aging sewage systems on their way to treatment plants.

If you do use these personal wipes, simply throw them in your household garbage and don’t flush them.  Please don’t contribute to a growing problem.