Preventing a sewer blockage
Sewers can be blocked by something inside the pipe stopping sewage from flowing properly.
To prevent sewer pipes from becoming blocked, make sure only water, sewage and toilet paper goes down your toilets.
Sewer blockages on your property can be expensive to fix.
Do not put these items down your toilets, sinks or drains
- ‘Flushable’ wet wipes
- Nappies
- Tampons, pads and condoms
- Empty toilet rolls
- Tissues, paper napkins, paper towel and newspaper
- Cotton buds, make-up pads and band aids
- Single-use face masks and gloves
- Medicines
- Food waste such as vegetable peelings and food scraps
- Cooking oils, fats and milk
- Cloth tea towels, rags and clothing including underwear
- Plastics
- Engine oils and grease
- Paint and paint solvents such as turpentine
- Pesticides
- Vapes and cigarettes
Think again
Put a rubbish bin next to the toilet and talk to your family about what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet.
Put vegetable peelings and scraps in your compost or general waste bin. Meat scraps go in your general waste bin.
Pour cooking oils, fats and milk into a sealed container and put them in the bin. Wipe your oily pots and pans down with paper towel and put the towel in the bin.
Put empty toilet rolls, newspapers, paper and cardboard packaging and hard plastics in the recycling bin.
Put hazardous household waste such as paint, solvents, pesticides, engine oils and grease in sealed containers and take to a waste and recycling centre.