Did you know that wipes and other personal hygiene and cleaning products are the leading cause of clogged pipes?  

Only waste and toilet paper should be flushed.  

Items to Avoid Flushing

Household cleaning and personal hygiene products labeled as flushable or safe for sewer or septic systems do not dissolve. They should always be placed in the trash.  

If your house is professionally cleaned, please ask the cleaning company to put these items in the trash:

• Floor cleaning pads, such as Swiffer wet or dry mopping cloths
• Disinfecting wipes
• Paper towels  

In addition to cleaning products, throw away the following:

• Tampons and pads
• Facial tissues
• Personal wipes
• Medicine  

These items and other trash clog sewer lines and can damage sewer pumps and other equipment.  

Costly Repairs  

Blocked pipes can lead to sewer overflows, which can be costly for you and the town’s utilities department. Consider the responsibilities: 

• Your responsibility — Property owners are responsible for blockages in the sewer service line between the house or structure on their property and the public right of way or easement. The town can require installation or relocation of a cleanout at the right of way or easement if one is not present.
• Shared responsibility — The town owns and maintains the sewer main or sewer service line in public rights of ways or easements. It will clear blockages of lines in public rights of ways or easements. The town may require property owners to install or relocate cleanouts to the town's specifications. The town may agree to perform the work but may require reimbursement and the granting of property access from the customer.

More Information

See the town’s No Wipes in the Pipes video.  

For more information, contact the utilities infrastructure protection supervisor. Did you know that wipes and other personal hygiene and cleaning products are the leading cause of clogged pipes?