Unflushable Waste

Unflushable waste is any kind of waste that is flushed down the toilet but shouldn’t be. This practice can lead to blockages in the sanitary sewer system and impact the health of our waterbodies by causing sewage to overflow into the environment.

Wastewater can’t be treated when it doesn’t get through to our region’s treatment facilities. Unflushable waste can cause costly blockages and backups in wastewater treatment systems, especially if they mix with fats, oils and grease. This can result in increased costs to maintain and fix regional pump stations and to replace damaged equipment and infrastructure.

Unflushable waste can also cause damage to private plumbing infrastructure belonging to homeowners (including septic systems). Homeowners could face additional costs to address sewer backups.

Remember the Three Ps! Pee, Poo and toilet Paper

Baby wipes, disinfecting wipes and other similar products are often marketed as “flushable.” They get past the toilet, but unfortunately, they don’t get very far. Unlike toilet paper, which has been designed to break down quickly once wet, wipes have been designed to stay together when wet. These “flushable” wipes accumulate in your household sewer pipes and form blockages, which cause sewer backups. There are currently no regulations to specify which products can be labelled as “flushable,” so to be safe, dispose of wipes in the garbage and remember the flushable Three Ps: Pee, Poo and toilet Paper.

Please, use proper disposal methods

What you put down the drain matters

Reduce your FOG

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) should be composted or recycled. They should never go down the drain. Read more >>

Clean Green

Many household cleaners are harmful to the environment. In the region, anything that goes down the drain inside our homes can end up in the ocean or in our groundwater. Read more >>

Return Medication

Medication that goes down the drain ends up in the ocean, where it can have a negative effect on the marine environment. Read more >>