The 3 Ps of Flushing
Your household's toilets AND your community's wastewater system was only designed to efficiently and safely dispose of 3 things.
1. Pee
2. Poo
3. Paper (toilet paper that is)
Anything else, and you not only risk backing up your own plumbing, but also all of your neighbors'! And no one likes a clogged toilet or sink.
The DO NOT Flush List
These are just some of the things that should NEVER go down a toilet.
- All 'Wipes'
- Bandages
- Cigarettes
- Cotton Balls and Swabs
- Dental Floss
- Diapers
- Facial Tissues and Pads
- Food Scraps
- Household Garbage
- Kitty Litter
- Paper Towels
- Women's Hygiene Products
It's REALLY NOT "Flushable" and "Disposable"
Unfortunately, the marketplace is full of products that claim to be "flushable" and "disposable" — especially wipes — but these products are rarely as advertised. Wipes don't readily dissolve in water, like toilet paper does, so they can easily get caught in sewer pipes and filtration systems.
That can mean blocked sewer pipes, treatment plant shutdowns, sewage overflows, and increased maintenance and repair costs. You can learn more about how wastewater treatment works here.
It's all very bad news for your plumbing, your community's sewer system, and your environment. So please, only ever flush The 3 Ps.
More Nasty Stuff
So, now we know so-called "flushable wipes" should never go down our toilets. But unfortunately, a whole lot more ends up down our sinks, toilets, and drains.
Your community's wastewater treatment plant is a biological treatment system, and not designed for garbage filtration, so the items listed below can have serious consequences to its operation. Reuse, recycle or dispose of them properly according to local guidelines.