The City of Barrie is reminding residents and businesses that toilets and sinks should not be used like trash cans.
“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 ‘unflushables’ 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.”
Barrie's News Delivered To Your Inbox
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Many items we use daily cannot go down our toilets or drains. 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 (e.g. 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)
Visit barrie.ca/sewers for further details.
