The Halton Region advises residents to watch what they flush down their toilet.
Items such as hand wipes, baby wipes, and oil and grease do not break down easily. They can build up in the sewer system and cause damage to municipal pumps and valves.
The Region says blockages can take a financial toll on both residents and the municipality.
“A residential sewer backup can result in costly damage to the home and the cost of a plumber to unclog the drain. The buildup of wipes and other debris in the municipal wastewater system can damage valves, pumps or other essential equipment leading to sewage overflows and backups into homes.
“Blockages can also lead to service disruptions and significant costs associated with municipal staff time and equipment required to clear and rehabilitate the sewer main. Blockages may even result in a sewage spill to the environment, which then requires additional cleanup and rehabilitation.”
They provide advice on what to do with these ‘unflushable’ items.
“Items such as baby wipes, hand wipes, feminine hygiene and sanitary products, disposable gloves, and even products that are labelled “flushable” should all be disposed of in the garbage.
“Items such as facial tissue, paper napkins, paper towels are organic materials that should go in the Green Cart.”
If residents are unsure of how to properly dispose of any household items, please visit halton.ca/waste and use the Put Waste in its Place sorting tool. Users can quickly and easily determine where common or even uncommon household items should go.
For more about wastewater and sewage back-up in homes, visit the Wastewater page on halton.ca.
For more on what not to flush, visit the Ontario Clean Water Agency’s website idontflush.ca.
