Plumbing notes · every day

A short roll call of what our cables keep finding

A toilet is built for two things, body waste and tissue. Sinks and tubs are built for water and fine particles. Nearly every stoppage our cables meet involves something outside those lists, and many of the same items also make trouble at the Region’s treatment plants.

Call (365) 517-8536

Union grill restaurant illuminated at night — From the almanac guide on what not to flush.

Keep out of the toilet

Every sort of wipe, the “flushable” ones included
Paper towel and facial tissue
Floss and cotton swabs
Menstrual products
Medications

Keep out of the sink

Fat, oil and pan drippings
Coffee grounds
Paint and solvents
Heaps of food scraps
Harsh chemical openers

Where they go instead

Scraps and greasy paper towel go in the green cart. Unused medications go back to a pharmacy. Paint and chemicals go to a Halton household hazardous waste depot. The Region’s waste guide has the current rules.

One more thing

Even toilet paper can cause trouble in excess. Using a lot of paper in one flush, especially in older low-flow toilets, can overload the trapway. Flushing twice for big loads is better than one overloaded flush.

Cat litter, even types labelled flushable, can clump in pipes and should go in the garbage. Hair from brushes belongs in the bin, not the toilet.

Teaching children what can and cannot go in the toilet prevents many calls. Toys, washcloths and toothbrushes are regular finds in family homes.