Only two things should be flushed down the toilet, says Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen: Human waste and toilet paper. If you’re flushing anything else, you could be contributing to the No. 1 cause of sewer backups and other problems in the City’s wastewater system.
“Things like fats, oils, grease (FOG), and products that say ‘flushable,’ such as wipes, baby wipes, and feminine products, all end up coming up somewhere for someone to deal with later, whether clogging a sewer line and creating a backup or at the wastewater treatment plant,” Lauritsen said. “We also see a lot of paper towels, dental floss, hair, cotton balls, and feminine products. These items belong in the trash, not the toilet.”
Ways to keep FOG out of the system:
- Scrape and wipe dishes with your napkin before washing.
- Minimize food waste through the garbage disposals — scrape it to the trash
- Heavy grease: Cool it. Can it. Trash it.
For more information about “what not to flush,” see www.cityofbartlesville.org.