TENNESSEE, USA — This should do without saying, but please be sure you are only flushing toilet paper.
As more people take steps to keep their areas clean, more people are using sanitary wipes to do so. You need to dispose of them properly.
Oak Ridge Public Works put out this message to residents: Your toilet is not a trash can. That means you should not flush any type of wipe, diapers or training pants, pet litter, paper towels, facial tissues, food, and/or sanitary or hygiene products.
While that was one message for one city, it really applies to everyone. Waste and toilet paper are the only things you should be flushing down the toilet.
Flushing wipes and other items other than toilet paper down the toilet can clog sewer laterals, city pipes and pumps. (A sewer lateral is an underground pipe that connects a residence or business to the main sewer line.)
Fixing a clogged pipe can take a lot of time and cost a lot of money.
When you flush the wrong thing, you could be adding to a bigger issue that can cause sewers to overflow. Non-flushable items, like wipes, can get trapped and cause damage to equipment in the wastewater treatment plants.
