What Not To Flush

Flushing items that don’t break up properly can cause costly clogs and back-ups, even contributing to sewage spills into our waterways. The only things that should be flushed are toilet paper and human waste. Many products today are marketed to consumers as "flushable," but these items do not break up like toilet paper and should not be allowed down any toilet or drain. For information on proper disposal of unwanted medications, visit the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website.

Do Not Flush

Do not flushing the following:

• Baby wipes, moist wipes, disinfecting wipes
• Cat litter
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Dental floss
• Diapers
• Facial tissues
• Fats, oils and grease
• Feminine hygiene products
• Hair
• Paper towels and napkins
• Pharmaceuticals and medications
• Toilet cleaning pads

At Home Experiment

It’s easy to conduct your own test to find out how different items break-up compared to toilet paper.  Take two bowls of water and place toilet paper in one bowl and the questionable item in the second bowl. Swish the items around in the water, wait an hour, then swish again. The toilet paper will have significantly degraded, while the other item will likely still remain intact. Only items that break up like toilet paper should be flushed.  

Contact

If you have any questions on what not to flush, email Public Works or call the City's wastewater treatment plant at 904-825-1045.