Flushables

What’s okay to flush? And what’s not flushable?

Flushables are items that can go down your toilet, like Pee, Poo, Puke and (toilet) Paper.

If something comes naturally from your body, you can put it in the potty. You can also flush toilet paper. Everything else belongs in the trash.

Can you flush wipes?

Baby wipes, wet wipes, disinfecting wipes for cleaning, and thicker materials like paper towels and even facial tissue should NOT go down toilets or drains. Even if the packaging says it’s flushable or is labeled as safe for septic systems, you should put your used wipes in a trash can or garbage bin.

Why? Because wipes don’t break down and disintegrate in water like toilet paper. Many contain non-biodegradable ingredients and plastic fibers. This means wipes can get caught in the pipes in your home’s sewer lateral, septic pipes or in the sewer system, causing clogs and backups. Anytime a pipe clogs or a backup occurs, it can be expensive, messy and gross to fix.

What ELSE ISN’T Okay to Flush?

When you think about it, water from your home goes to the sewer system, gets cleaned and goes back to nature. And there’s only so much that a wastewater plant like ours can remove during the treatment process before water returns to the environment.

Do your part to protect the environment. It’s easy to put trash in the garbage can instead of down the drain. It’s a simple way you can help keep water flowing clean for local streams and larger rivers.

Want to learn more about keeping water clean?