What Not to FLUSH

Red Circle with line over clipart tossing trash in toilet indicating Do Not Flush Wipes

 

Just because the package says "flushable" doesn't mean it's true. Many items marketed as disposable and/or flushable do NOT degrade like toilet paper, and they wind up clogging pipes, tangling pumps and causing messy sewer backups into streets, businesses and your home. This increases the City’s maintenance costs to fix pumps and clean City sewer pipes.

The drains that connect your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper and human waste - often no wider than 4 inches.

Do not flush...

  • Diapers (cloth, disposable, "flushable")
  • Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material
  • Facial tissues, cotton balls, swabs and pads
  • Cleaning wipes of ANY kind (baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.)
  • Toilet bowl scrub pads
  • Swiffer’s
  • Napkins (paper or cloth), paper towels
  • Dental floss
  • Egg shells, nutshells, and coffee grounds
  • Fats  oils, and greases
  • Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals
  • Wash cloths, towels, rags (any cloth item)
  • Clothing
  • Sheet plastic, or plastic of any kind
  • Hazardous materials
  • Bandages or Band-Aids
  • Kitty litter