What not to flush

Flushing the wrong things can clog pipes in your home and the city’s sewer system. Know what’s safe to flush—and what's not—to avoid clogs, costly plumbing repairs and sewer backups.

Keep non-flushable items out of the toilet

Flushing common household items can damage the pipes in your home, the city’s sewer system, and the environment.

What is safe to flush

To keep the sewer system working properly and avoid clogs, it's important to only flush:

Toilet paper
Human waste

Even wipes labeled as “flushable,” don’t break down like toilet paper. These "flushable wipes" stay intact and can clog pipes, so it’s best to toss them in the trash.

What not to flush down the toilet

Put non-flushable items in the garbage—not the toilet—to keep your pipes clear and your neighbourhood’s sewer system safe. Learn how to dispose of them the right way.

Household items that should always go in the garbage

Baby wipes, cleaning wipes, hygiene wipes
Cotton balls and swabs
Feminine hygiene products
Paper towels and tissues
Dental floss
Hair
Condoms
Contact lenses
Band-aids
Lotions and perfumes

Hazardous items should be taken to your nearest Eco Station

Nail polish
Needles
Batteries
Paint and paint remover
Glue and solvents
Wood shavings
Furniture polish
Fertilizer and pesticides
Motor oil and antifreeze

Take unused or expired medications to your local pharmacy

Flushing pills, liquids and creams can be harmful to the environment.

Unsure of what goes where when disposing household items?
Check the City of Edmonton’s WasteWise app to learn more about what belongs in your bins and what doesn’t.

How non-flushable items contribute to clogs

Since non-flushable items don’t break down, they stick to fats, oils and grease and other buildup in the pipes. This can cause:

Clogs and damage in your home plumbing, which can lead to sewer backups.
Blockages in the sewer system and spills, which can impact your neighbours or harm the environment and local waterways.

Keeping the sewer system safe and reliable

In your home, water from toilets, sinks and bathtubs all travel through the same pipes. Your plumbing connects to the city’s sewer system, which carries wastewater to a treatment plant where it’s cleaned and safely returned to the river.

When you dispose of non-flushable items in the trash, you help prevent costly plumbing repairs in your home and keep water flowing safely and efficiently out of your home and neighbourhood.

Questions about non-flushable items

While some wipes are labeled as “flushable,” they don’t break down the same way toilet paper does. Toilet paper is designed to disintegrate quickly in water. “Flushable” wipes remain largely intact as they travel through pipes and can cause clogs. It’s best to throw these wipes in the trash, even if the label says they’re flushable.

When non-flushable items are flushed down the toilet, these materials travel into the city’s sewer system where they contribute to blockages that can damage sewer pipes and the treatment plant, and backups that can harm the environment and local waterways. We can all do our part to protect our home, sewer system and environment by properly disposing of our household items.

If you are experiencing a sewer backup, call EPCOR’s 24/7 emergency line at 780-412-4500. We can respond to help determine the cause and guide you to the right steps or repairs you may need to make if the problem is occurring within the plumbing or sewer line on your property.