EXAMPLES OF DO NOT FLUSH ITEMS
- Baby Wipes
- Adult Wipes
- Disposable and Cloth Diapers
- Paper Towels
- Feminine Products
- Q-tips
- Bandages
- Dental Floss
- Socks
- Sanitary Towels and Incontinence Pads
- Rags
- Kitty Litter
- Cigarette Butts
- Underwear
- Panty Hose
- Needles, Razors and Blades (Put these into a rigid container before placing in the trash bin.)
- Medicines (Any unwanted or unused medicines should be returned to your local pharmacy)
You may look at the above list and think no one would dispose or flush these items down the sewer … but they do.
Many household products are labeled and marketed as Disposable and/or Flushable. While these products may be marketed as a convenience item in this way, the truth is that these types of items have the ability to clog and stop up not only the sewer line on your property, but also can cause blockage and service problems in the public sewer system and pump stations. Unlike toilet paper, these products DO NOT break down once they are flushed. They can cause blockages in both public and private sewer lines, especially older pipelines that may have greases, roots, or other obstructions already existing. A repair of the building sewer line can leave the home owner business owner with a very costly sewer repair.
On a larger scale, when these products make their way into the public sewer system they collect together, causing very large obstructions and clogs in the main collector lines and get tangled in pump stations requiring repair or replacement of equipment. Not only it can this result in costly and expensive repairs, but objects such as needles and razor blades is a health and safety concern and matter for personnel who have to remove these items from sewer appurtenances.
Clean water is critical to sustaining life and health, yet people often take for granted the flow of water into and out of their homes and businesses. Where does it go after we flush the toilet, empty the sink, take a shower or do laundry? Wastewater drains into the community’s sanitary sewer system, an underground network of pipes that leads to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Sewers are designed to take away used dirty water from sinks, baths, showers, laundries, and toilets. Flushing away “unflushables” adds to the cost of operating and maintaining your sewers and the wastewater treatment plant. Putting trash down the toilet does cause blockages in sewers and possible damage to the environment.
“Disposable” doesn't mean flushable.
Disposable means you should bag it and trash it... don't flush it! Most baby wipes and adult wipes are not flushable. This information is usually written in tiny letters somewhere on the package. Even if the phrase “flushable” or “safe to flush” is on the package, it may not be flushable. These “unflushable” and many “flushable” wipes do not fall apart in water like toilet paper. The wipes get tangled in the sewage with other wipes and debris, resulting in sewer clogs and expensive problems for your collection system/WWTP. These additional maintenance issues take time away from the operators and maintenance staff’s daily activities and can impact you or your neighbor’s sewer service.
Save yourself and the municipal authority from costly repairs and/or replacement bills.