To Flush or Not To Flush

A Guide to What Goes in the Toilet

Talking about what we flush might feel uncomfortable, but there’s something important for everyone to know about using the toilet: only flush The Four P's. If it isn’t pee, poop, puke or toilet paper, it doesn’t belong in the toilet. Even products advertised as "safe for septic systems and sewer" or "flushable" can clog your home’s plumbing and damage our water renewal system.

repeating pattern of toilet paper

Flush it!

  • Pee
  • Poop
  • Puke
  • Toilet Paper

Don't Flush It!

These items don't break down in the water renewal system, even though some may be incorrectly labeled as flushable! They can clog household pipes, water collection lines and water pumps causing breaks, backups and overflows onto streets, businesses and homes:

  • Wet wipes and all other types of wipes
  • Menstrual products like tampons and pads
  • Diapers
  • Facial tissues
  • Cotton balls, swabs and pads
  • Toilet bowl scrub pads
  • Napkins
  • Paper towels
  • Dental floss
  • Hair
  • Condoms
  • Wash cloths, towels or rags
  • Kitty litter

Don't Flush It!

These items can’t be treated at our water renewal facilities, so if you flush them, they can end up in the Boise River. Use our medication drop off sites and household hazardous waste collection sites to dispose of these items and keep them out of the river.

  • Medications
  • Fertilizers
  • Weed killer
  • Paint
  • Solvents
  • Automotive fluid

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