What Not to Flush on a Septic System

Never flush

• Wipes of any kind — including ones labeled “flushable.” They don’t break down like toilet paper and they snag in lines and baffles.
• Feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers
• Dental floss, cotton swabs, cotton balls
• Paper towels and tissues in quantity
• Cat litter — even “flushable” litter adds solids
• Medications — use a pharmacy take-back instead

Never pour down a drain

• Cooking grease and oil — it hardens in pipes and floats as scum in the tank. Wipe pans and put grease in the trash.
• Coffee grounds
• Paint, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, antifreeze
• Chemical drain openers — they harm the bacteria and rarely fix a septic clog. Use a plunger or call for a line clearing.
• Large amounts of bleach or disinfectant — normal household cleaning is fine; repeated heavy doses are not.

Based on U.S. EPA SepticSmart guidance and county septic maintenance guides.

Habits that help

• Skip or limit the garbage disposal. Scrape plates into the trash or compost. A disposal adds solids and means more frequent pumping.
• Spread out laundry over the week instead of doing every load on one day.
• Fix running toilets and leaky faucets — constant flow overloads the drainfield.
• Keep sump pumps, gutters and water-softener backwash out of the septic system unless the design allows for them.
• Keep vehicles, livestock and new structures off the drainfield. Compacted soil can’t absorb water.