Using sinks, toilets and drains correctly

Beneath our homes, shops and factories lies a network of pipes separate from those that supply fresh water. These pipes collect used water and carry it to the water reclamation facility, where it is cleaned and treated.

Wastewater is almost entirely water - 99.95%. A 20-litre drum of wastewater contains less than a tablespoon of dirt. Even though it’s mostly water, it still carries a mix of pollutants, including:

  • Solids: human waste, kitchen scraps, toilet paper, grease, oils, plastic bags, needles.
  • Dissolved substances: nutrients, organic matter, detergents, chemicals.
  • Microorganisms: worms, amoeba, bacteria, viruses.

Take care of your wastewater

Flushing or washing the wrong items down toilets and sinks can cause serious blockages and damage to our wastewater systems. These problems lead to costly repairs, reduce treatment efficiency, and create environmental risks.

There are a few key guidelines you can follow when disposing of waste into the sewer system.

Toilet

What you can flush

  • Human waste
  • Toilet paper

What you can’t flush

  • Flushable wipes
  • Tissues
  • Fats, oils, greases
  • Paper towels
  • Big chunks of waste
  • Sand
  • Plastics
  • Toys
  • Animal parts
  • Grass
  • Goldfish
  • Metals
  • Cat litter, including ‘flushable’ cat litter
  • Tampons and sanitary napkins
  • Disposable diapers
  • Anything radioactive
  • Fertiliser, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
  • Condoms
  • Flammable or explosive liquids, solids or gases
  • Automotive chemicals

Kitchen

Pouring the wrong substances down the drain not only has the potential to cause issues for household pipes and septic systems, but can also hurt our natural water ecosystems and their inhabitants too.

What can't go down the drain

  • Fats, oils, greases - these will quickly cool and solidify in your home's drains causing blockages.
  • Coffee grounds.
  • Vegetable peelings and other scraps - these clog the system.

Ways to avoid blockages in the kitchen

  • Try using paper towels to absorb liquid fats and throw in the bin.
  • Use a sink strainer to catch scraps or put scraps in a bin or compost system.

Outdoors

Allowing the wrong substances to flow down the pipes can cause damage to the environment, corrode your pipes and pose a serious health threat to workers maintaining the sewerage system.

What can't flow down a drain

  • Paints
  • Pesticides
  • Oils
  • Hazardous chemicals

Where to dispose of these products

Chemical and oil wastes can be disposed of at our waste Find a waste facility.

Paint tips

To keep our wastewater healthy and make disposing of paint easy, we suggest using water based paints. Always squeeze and brush out excess paint on a newspaper or rag before cleaning the brush. For water-based paints, wash brushes in one bucket of water and rinse in another. Let the paint settle overnight then tip the water onto the garden or a grassed area.

For oil based paints, clean brushes in turpentine. Allow the waste mixture to evaporate to sludge and then dispose in the bin.

Key tasks

Request sewer drainage plan

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