Flushable Items
When you use your washing machine, dishwasher, shower, and toilet the wastewater leaves your home and enters the sanitary sewer system.
Household items are not meant to be flushed down your toilet as they can cause clogs in your pipes, toilet, backups in your basement, and blockages in the city-wide system.
Don't flush:
- Baby wipes or cleaning wipes
- Diapers
- Facial tissue or paper towel
- Tampons or other menstrual products
- Condoms
- Bandages
- Paper towels
- Dental floss
- Cotton balls and swabs
- Cat litter
- Prescription drugs
- Over-the-counter medication
- Cigarette butts
SEMCOG: COVID-19 Toilet Paper PSA
Check out the video above for a reminder about taking special care of our sanitary system while more residents are home. Household items not meant to be flushed can not only clog pipes in your home but can cause a sanitary sewer backup in basements and clogged toilets.
Please keep in mind that at a time with disinfectants in high demand it is especially important we care for our sanitary sewer system. Many disinfectant products needed to clean sanitary backups have limited availability and companies may be unavailable to assist as they may be tasked with disinfecting commercial or medical spaces.
We kindly ask that everyone do their part to keep our sanitary system clog-free!
Visit the resources below for more information:
GLWA - Flushable Wipes Effect on Sanitary System
GLWA - Stick to the 3 P's
GLWA - Flushable Items Media Alert
