In short, toilets are not trash cans. Only water, toilet paper, and human waste should be flushed. Most of the sewers in the County system are only 8 inches in diameter. No matter what the movies say, you cannot walk through them, and it does not take something the size of an alligator to impact their ability to carry flow.
Many personal hygiene and cleaning products are marketed as being flushable, but most of these products do not break apart once they are in the sanitary system. They can then collect with other materials flushed into the sewer, causing clogs and blockages. These blockages lead to sanitary sewer backups or overflows, which cause significant damage to the County’s collection system, plumbing systems on private property, and the environment. It is rare for one person to flush enough of these products to cause an immediate problem. However, if everyone in your subdivision flushes just one or two personal wipes, imagine how big that blockage could be by the time it gets to the entrance of your community.
Wipes and other non-dispersible items can also collect in your plumbing and may not make it through your sewer lateral, which can also cause a backup in your home, costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs and restoration costs, all of which would be your responsibility.
The same is true with cooking grease and oils. You may get the grease to leave your sink by washing with hot water, but the temperature of the water will cool long before it reaches the public sewer. When it does, the grease will become solid again and coat the inside of whatever pipe it is flowing through. You could have a grease blob in your home plumbing or sewer lateral restricting the flow of waste water out of your home—no amount of hot water in the sink will clear that.
Even items that dissolve in water, such as medications, should not be flushed as they can contaminate local waterways and harm the environment. Home cleaning products should also be used as recommended by the manufacturer. Dumping bottles of cleaners into your toilets could impact your plumbing and the sewer system.
Below are some of the items that should not be flushed. If you have any doubt, don’t flush it!
- Personal hygiene wipes or paper towels
- Rags and towels
- Feminine hygiene products
- Dental floss, q-tips, and other bathroom tools
- Diapers
- Prescription or over-the-counter medications
- Cleaning products
- Fertilizers, pesticides, and weed control products
- Kitchen oil or grease
- Aquarium gravel or kitty litter
- Rubber or plastic items
- Cigarette butts
- Hair