Don’t use your toilet as a trashcan, warns town

Backed-up sewers can force people out of their homes amid COVID-19 pandemic

TRURO, N.S. – The Town of Truro is warning people not to flush disinfectant wipes or other forms of waste in toilets, to avoid blocking sewer lines.

Town officials say they are seeing a higher-than-normal amount of disposable wipes and towels blocking pipes, likely due to extra household and personal cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. People should instead dispose of wipes in trash cans.

“I’d be very careful,” said Mayor Bill Mills. “A couple of things will happen: one, it’ll jam up our sewer system. Secondly, it does cause a sewer backup at your house and you’re going to be on the hook for the cost, so put them in the garbage.”

Being forced to evacuate a home is a risky prospect in a time when COVID-19 is forcing people to self-isolate. A blocked sewer line on one street can cause a sewage backup in all the homes along that street.

“Consider the cost of doing this,” said Mills. “We’ve already had problems with wipes in our system.”

To avoid issues, the town says only the ‘3Ps’ should be flushed down a toilet: poop, pee and (toilet) paper. Even wipes marked as “flushable” should not be flushed. Regular toilet paper breaks up quickly to avoid blocking pipes.

The town also warns people not to pour fats, oils, or grease down the sink, as it can line the inside of sewer pipes.

This causes problems by itself, but any type of wipe, paper towel or hygiene product will collect with the grease to form clogs.

This can block toilets and home sewer lines, and form “fatbergs,” blocking sewer lines in entire neighbourhoods.