Florida city reminds residents to only flush toilet paper, human waste to avoid damaging sewer systems

What to flush and not flush

Toilets are clogging across Central Florida because people are flushing items other than toilet paper. Officials in Mount Dora say rubber gloves and baby wipes have caused problems.

MOUNT DORA, Fla. - The City of Mount Dora wants to remind its citizens that certain items should not be flushed down the toilet, as it can clog and damage septic and sewer systems in the community.

For some, toilet paper supply at home is low, as shelves are quickly emptied daily during the coronavirus pandemic. However, if you are using items other than toilet paper in the restroom, please do not flush them.

This includes "flushable wipes." As the wipes have become more popular in households, city works teams across the country have put out the warning that, despite the flushable claim on the container, the wipes shouldn't be flushed.

Joe Grusauskas, Utilities and Plant Operations Director for the City of Mount Dora, said the wipes are technically biodegradable but not in the same way as toilet paper. He said the paper starts breaking down as soon as it hits the water, but the wipes take significantly longer.

"Typically a textile, even a biodegradable textile is 20-200 years," said Grusauskas.

The city said that the only things that should be flushed are human waste and toilet paper. Items like full paper towels, disinfectant wipes, diapers, cleaning products, q-tips, and latex gloves pose a significant risk to the city's sanitary collection systems.

However, Grusauskas said Thursday that paper towels are a better flushable option for those in a pinch: he just asks people tear them into smaller pieces so the system can hangle them.

“With individuals and families doing their part by staying home, our systems are seeing heavier than normal use,” said JGrusauskas. “We need to be mindful of how we’re treating the City’s utility assets.”

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The City added that a sewage clog or blockage could result in raw sewage overflows into local lakes. It could also result in you having to leave your home.