There are many kinds of wipes available today, including baby wipes, feminine hygiene wipes, and antibacterial wipes. They do not break down quickly and will cause blockages in the sewer system. Many of them have packaging that claims they are biodegradable, or even flushable, but they are not. For an example on what wipes do to sewers when they're flushed, have a look at this CBC news story. Wipes should go into the garbage.

Much like wipes, dryer sheets are made of materials intended to withstand wet conditions and heat. While they don't break down in water, they do cause our pumps to break down when a dryer sheet gets caught in one. Dryer sheets should go in the garbage.

No cooking oils, grease, fats, or other similar products should be poured down the drain! While they may be liquid while being poured, they will very soon cool down and harden, and this usually happens somewhere in your house's plumbing or sewer line. While it may seem to make sense that flushing it down with hot water will help, it doesn't. It might just make it a little further down the drain before it hardens and plugs your plumbing or the municipal sewer system

Cut the top off a clean juice carton and pour grease, fat, or lard into the carton. Let the grease harden and then throw the carton in the garbage. Pour cooking or vegetable oils into a plastic screw-top bottle. Seal the lid tightly and put it in the garbage.

Feminine hygiene products shouldn't be flushed. Even the ones that claim to be biodegradable don't break down quickly. They plug pipes and cause problems for pumps in the sewage system. Disposal should be in the garbage, even if the packaging suggests otherwise.

Toilet paper is the only paper product that's okay for flushing. Other paper products, like facial tissues (Kleenex), paper towel, newspaper, cardboard, and wipes of any kind should never be flushed. When items like these are flushed, they don't break down quickly, and can create blockages that may cause a sewage backup. Some paper products belong in your recycling grey box (like newspapers and clean cardboard), while other items belong in the garbage (soiled pizza boxes, parchment paper, and wipes of every kind).

Large clumps of hair from haircuts or cutting a pet's fur usually stay clumped together and do not break apart. Large masses of hair are sometimes found in lift station pumps and stuck in sewer mains. Hair should be thrown in the garbage.

Dental floss is tough and doesn't tear easily. When it gets into sewers, it gets caught up in pumps and can stop them from operating. Used dental floss should be disposed of in the garbage.

Diapers are large enough that they shouldn't be flushed, but they have still been found stuck in sanitary laterals, causing a sewer backup. Diapers are not flushable and need to go in the garbage. This applies to all types of diapers, biodegradable or not. They're just too big for the sewer.

Food scraps and grinds that make their way into the sanitary sewer put additional stress on the treatment process and add solids to the sanitary sewage stream that compromise the flow in the sewers.

There is a better place and use for food scraps: your backyard composter

Sewage treatment systems aren't designed to deal with the chemicals that are in prescription drugs. You should never flush yours down the toilet. Please bring them back to the pharmacy. For more information visit the Health Products Stewardship Association website.

Sometimes needles are flushed down the toilet. This is a danger for our employees who work on the sewer system, and for the sewer equipment.

The safe way to get rid of hypodermic needles is through the drop-off program organized by Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA). Visit their website to learn how and where to take sharps for safe disposal.

The treatment process is designed specifically to treat domestic sewage and human waste. It is not designed to treat the huge variety of chemicals that are present in other day-to-day products.

Please dispose of chemicals at the Household Hazardous Waste depot

Our sewage plants are not designed to handle some of the unique pathogens that can be in pet feces. Pet waste, including kitty litter, should be disposed of in the garbage.