Environmental Tips & What NOT to flush

Help prevent sewer blockages.

Do not put the following items down the toilet, drain or garbage disposal.

  • Fats, oils or grease from cooking, cars or lawnmowers
  • Coffee grinds
  • Egg shells
  • Produce stickers
  • Chunks of garbage
  • Disposable diapers
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Paper towels
  • Flushable cat litter
  • Rags
  • Condoms
  • Bags/wrappings and cardboard
  • Motor oil, transmission fluids, anti-freeze or other toxic chemicals
  • Solvents, paints, turpentine, nail polish, polish remover
  • Flammable or explosive substances
  • Corrosive substances that are either acidic or caustic
  • Needles and sharps
  • Prescription and over-the-counter medications

 

Flushing and dumping prohibited debris down the toilet or drainpipe can cause blockages in public and private drains. This can lead to:

  • Raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbor’s home;
  • An expensive and unpleasant cleanup;
  • Raw sewage overflowing into yards, and streets;
  • Potential contact with disease-causing organisms;
  • An increase in operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments, which can cause higher sewer bills for customers.
  • Increased pollution due to sewage spills caused by the blockages.

Customers nationwide are experiencing increased environmental impact & cost due to equipment failure.

Flushed Wipes

Flushing wet wipes down the toilet can clog plumbing systems, leading to expensive repairs. Many people don’t know that wipes shouldn’t go in the toilet and pose a risk for sewer infrastructure.

Clogged Sewer Lines

Once wipes make it to the sewer collection system, they can catch on roots that infiltrate pipes, weave together to form large rags and attract fats, oils and grease. This can result in blockages and sewer spills.

Sewer Overflows

Wipes make their way into private sewer laterals, septic systems, and sewer lines and can cause extensive harm and result in overflows and property damage.

Damaged Collection System

Most collection systems rely on pumps to move wastewater to treatment facilities. Wipes can clog these pumps, resulting in spills, system failures, increased maintenance requirements and damage to expensive equipment.

Disrupted Treatment Plant

Oftentimes, masses of wipes manage to make it through the collection system and end up at wastewater treatment plants, which can result in significant damage to treatment infrastructure and recurrent disruption of the teatment process.

Environmental Harm

Even when wipes filter out of the wastewater stream, small microfibers and microplastics can shed off wipes. These fibers can’t be captured and can make their way into the environment.

Please don’t flush wipes down the toilet!