SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – When people reach for disinfectant wipes to protect themselves from the coronavirus, we are reminded to throw them in the trash and not to flush them down the toilet.

These wipes and other toilet paper substitutes can lead to an increase in clogged plumbing in San Jose.

Those still hard to find, disinfectant wipes that kill cold and flu viruses are now widely used for wiping door handles, countertops, TV remotes, and other touch sensitive surfaces.

They shouldn’t be flushed in the toilet, but it still happens, says Colin Heyne of the City of San Jose.

“We’re seeing an increase in service requests, mostly for cleaning people. That is the underground sewer access in their homes. Fortunately, we are not seeing an increase in sewer drains,” Heyne said.

While disinfectant wipes are great at killing most bacteria and viruses, they don’t break down as easily as toilet paper.

In large quantities, they can plug pipes, secure sewers, and cause major problems for sewage treatment plants, says Jennie Loft of Environmental Health.

“It won’t flush, it won’t go through the system, it won’t dissolve properly like toilet paper, it will get stuck in your pipes. We have devices that shield the cloths and any solid materials that get through the system. Therefore we would like to ask residents not to put this material in the toilet at all, ”said Loft.

In relation to this lack of toilet paper in recent weeks, there has also been an increase in clogged pipes and cleaning with materials even more problematic than wipes.

“We’re also seeing more non-flushable items like cloth, T-shirts and cotton fabrics. When people run out of toilet paper, we want to make sure they use something else,” Heyne said.

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The dramatic video, captured Friday morning by the Novato sanitary district, shows water spurting from sewage treatment plants clogged with cloths and many other used cloths all over the floor.

“We were basically faced with a deluge of towels,” said General Manager Sandeep Karkal.

RELATED: Coronavirus Map: Updated Numbers of COVID-19 Cases, Deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area

Wipes don’t break down in sewer systems and have been clogging pipes and sewage plants for years, but officials fear the problem will suddenly get much worse.

Sewage gushed from a manhole cover on a street in San Rafael earlier this week.

Mike Prinz, general manager of Los Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, blames what he calls “non-flushable” which clogged the pipes and caused the spillage.

RELATED: How to Properly Clean Your Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Prinz says it’s important that people stop flushing products that aren’t made to go to the bathroom. In addition to cloths, paper towels and serviettes should also not be washed. Your own home can also be at risk.

“The pipe you’re blocking may actually be your own pipe, and in that case your toilet won’t flush, your shower won’t drain, your sink will reset,” said Prinz. “We are obviously facing a really difficult time, but things could get worse if you had a backup for your house too.”

Novato Sanitary District uses a slogan to remind people not to use their toilet as a trash can. “Just flush the three Ps. Pee, Poop and TP (toilet paper).”

The California Water Resources Board says that towels should never be flushed, even if the label says they are flushable.

The mess caused by the wipes in the Novato sanitary district was in a restricted access area and there was no danger to the public.

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