Can I put trash down the toilet?
NO. It's a Toilet - Not a Trash can.

People sometimes view the toilet as an auxiliary wastebasket - an easy place to dump all kinds of things and make them disappear with a single "flush". Unfortunately, many items that end up in the toilet - even products labeled "flush-able" or "bio-degradable" - can cause significant clogging problems not only in your home's wastewater plumbing, but also for the sewer system and the Saukville WasteWater Treatment Facility (WWTF) processes.

There are only 2 things that can be safely flushed down the toilet - human waste and toilet paper. Any other item has the potential to clog the system, regardless of how easily it appears to flush. Common items often flushed that should not be flushed include:
- Cat Litter
- Clothing or rags
- Cotton Swabs and Balls
- Dental Floss
- Diapers
- Facial Tissue
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Grease
- Wet Wipes (baby wipes, disinfecting wipes, flushable wipes)

Often, these items do not even make it past the lateral connection from your home to the local sewer system, building up and clogging the line. If these products make it to the street, they can still plug up and damage the pipes and pumps that convey sewage to the WWTF, potentially causing overflows and basement back-ups that can be costly to repair. If these products make it to the WWTF, they can also jam up equipment there.

To help protect the investment we have all made in our homes, the municipal sanitary sewer system, and the Saukville WWTF, please dispose anything that is not toilet paper or human waste in the garbage, not the toilet.Click for video

Show All Answers

1. Can I put trash down the toilet?
2. Can I pour old chemicals down the drain?
3. Can I pour grease down the drain?
4. What do I do if my sewer lateral backs up?