The 3 Ps of Flushing

West Shore Environmental Services is pleased to be a partner in the international Patty Potty No Wipes in the Pipes campaign.

Patty's goal is to raise awareness on the proper use of wastewater systems — a response to the increasing disposal of wipes, and other "nasty stuff", that routinely gets thrown down toilets and drains.

It's all very bad news for your plumbing, your sewer system, and your environment, and Patty's gonna tell you why. So stay on Patty's good side and only ever flush The 3 Ps.

Pee
Poo &
Paper (toilet paper that is)

But Patty says it best, so check out her videos, and follow her on YouTube and Facebook.

More Nasty Stuff

So now we know so-called "flushable wipes" should never go down our toilets. But unfortunately, a whole lot more ends up down our sinks, toilets, and drains.

Your community's wastewater treatment plant is a biological treatment system, and not designed for garbage filtration, so the items listed below can have serious consequences to its operation. Reuse, recycle or dispose of them properly according to local guidelines.

Dangerous Chemicals Using your sewer system to dispose of dangerous chemicals is not only irresponsible, it can cause serious damage, and it's against the law.

Cleaning Products Certain household chemicals, such as bleach, should be used sparingly as they can affect the biological activity in wastewater treatment plants.

Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOG) FOGs, such as cooking oil and grease, build up in plumbing and sewer lines over time, eventually clogging them and leading to costly repairs.

Plastics, latex, and Rubber Items such as latex gloves, condoms, tampon applicators and contact lenses, won't biodegrade in water, and can cause serious damage.

Medical Items Medications and medical implements such as needles, bandages and gauze, should never be flushed down the toilet or the drain.

Other Bathroom Items It can be tempting to get rid of cosmetics, dental floss, cotton balls, and tissue by flushing them down. But these things can quickly clog up pipes.

Food Waste Food waste should go into the garbage or ideally composted. Even if you put it through a garburator, food waste can settle in pipes and cause blockages.

Household Garbage Even if it's small, anything that isn't Pee, Poo and toilet Paper can eventually create a clog in your toilet or drains.