NHDES: Please Only Flush Toilet Paper

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services says recent toilet paper shortages have lead to some really dirty business: they want to remind everyone to only flush toilet paper and human waste down the toilet, no matter what.

The department says they've seen rags, wipes, paper towels, even t-shirts and bedsheets flushed down the toilet, and unlike toilet paper those thing can lead to serious clogs and damages to the septic and sewer system. Instead, they urge residents who don't have toilet paper to put whatever they used in a bag, and throw it out in the trash. It may not be ideal, but they say the alternative is just too costly.

Even before the outbreak and recent toilet paper shortages, the state says the average New Hampshire town has spent over $40,000 a year cleaning unflushable items out of their sewer systems. Meanwhile homeowners with residential leach fields can find themselves paying up to $15,000 to fix damages caused by negligent flushing.

The state says some of these problems are caused by mislabeled products. Most items that claim to be 'flushable' on the packaging usually cannot be safely flushed and will cause clogs: that includes flushable wipes, feminine hygeine producs, paper towels and more. Again, when in doubt, the state urges residents to throw it out.

Anyone with any additional questions about what is and isn't flushable can visit the NHDES brochure on flushability.