City tells residents 'Can't flush this'

A toilet is shown in this undated file image.

Toilets and sinks should not be used like trash cans.

That's the message of the staff at Barrie's water treatment facility are sending about items considered 'unflushables'.

"What you put down your sinks or flush down your toilet can cause blocked pipes, basement flooding, and sewer backups," said Stephanie Mack, director of waste management and environmental sustainability.

"Our sanitary sewer collection system is designed to transport only wastewater to the Wastewater Treatment Facility to be treated. As unflushable items accumulate in these collection and treatment systems, they put a strain on the wastewater treatment process and can increase the cost to keep everything working properly."

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Many items residents use daily cannot go down the toilet or drain.

Several products, even those labelled 'flushable' or 'biodegradable' do not dissolve and putting them down the toilet or sink can lead to basement flooding or cause:

• Damage or blockages to your home plumbing.
• Damage to the city's sewer pipes located under the streets.
• Damage to the city's wastewater treatment plant.
• Harm to the environment and Kempenfelt Bay.

To help keep the entire sewage system working well and prevent sanitary sewer backups, it’s important not to flush or put the following products down drains:

• Hygiene products such as sanitary napkins/liners, tampons,
• Wipes, cotton swabs, dental floss, diapers and rags
• Hair
• Fats, oils and cooking grease
• Medication (e.g. pills or liquid)
• Household hazardous waste (e.g. paints)