Flush & Drain Smarter Do's and Don'ts

DO:

  1. Flush only the 3 Ps!

    Pee - Poo - Toilet Paper

     
  2. Sort everything except the 3Ps according to Leduc's Sort Smarter guidelines.



    Products other than the 3Ps will not disintegrate quickly enough to clear the sewer lines. This accumulating matter will, over time, build up enough to clog a pipe, creating sewer backups and damage to pipes.

     
  3. Keep FOG (Fats - Oil - Grease) out of your drain.



    Wastewater from our sinks also drains into the Capital Region wastewater system. To keep your drains and the city’s wastewater system flowing freely:
  • Wipe up fats, oil and grease on paper towels or pour them onto cardboard – then put the soaked paper products in your organics cart.
  • Pour larger amount of FOG materials into a can and black cart the can. When in doubt, black cart your FOG materials.

Following are many products that cannot be safely flushed. Use the best Sort Smarter option for safe disposal.

Item Black cart (Bag it!) Green cart Blue bag Eco Station Other
Bandages download_0.png        
Cat litter (silica free)   download_0.png      
Cat waste download_0.png        
Cigarette butts download_0.png        
Clothing download_0.png        
Coffee grounds   download_0.png      
Cotton balls / cotton swabs download_0.png        
Deceased pets (small)   download_0.png      
Dental floss download_0.png        
Diapers download_0.png        
Dusting pads download_0.png        
Egg shells, nutshells   download_0.png      
Facial tissues   download_0.png      
Fats - Oils - Grease (FOG). Small amounts: collect with paper towel   download_0.png      
Fats - Oils - Grease (FOG). Larger amounts: pour into container download_0.png        
Gloves download_0.png        
Hair   download_0.png      
Masks download_0.png        
Medicines or pill         Pharmacy
Napkins (cloth) download_0.png        
Napkins (paper)   download_0.png      
Pains, varnish, paint thinner       download_0.png  
Paper towels   download_0.png      
Plastic Bags, cutlery, dishes, toys, food wrap, packaging   Bottles, containers (rigid), lids   Bottle depot - drink containers
Q-tips download_0.png        
Sanitary napkins, tampons & condoms download_0.png        
String download_0.png        
Toilet bowl scrub pads download_0.png        
Toothpaste tubes download_0.png        
Unusable clothing (i.e.) underpants download_0.png        
Vehicle oil       download_0.png  
Wigs download_0.png        
Wipes
- "Flushable" wipes
- Baby wipes
- Disinfectant wipes
- Hand wipes
- Garage wipes		 download_0.png        

DON'T:

  1. Use your toilet as a waste basket.
  2. Flush wipes - any kind!

Did you know?

Flushing “flushable” wipes is a no-no. The packaging may say they are flushable – but they aren’t! Wipes don’t break down as quickly as toilet paper. Instead, they act like a net that catches other solids like hair, facial tissue or paper towel until they become a solid mass that blocks water through the pipes.

Check out the following short videos for more information:

The Cost of Clogs

Canadians spend $200 million/year every year to clean up sewer clogs – with most costs directly or indirectly passed onto residents. In 2016, Alberta households faced an average sewer backup cost of over $21,850 according to the Millennium Insurance Corporation.