What not to put down the drain

Everything that goes down the kitchen, laundry and bathroom sink or that’s flushed down the toilet ends up in the sewerage system.

Treated sewerage is either reused or safely returned to our creeks, rivers and oceans. Putting the wrong things down the sewer affects our ability to treat and reuse the water and can cause damage to the system.

What not to put down the drain:

Plastics

Non-biodegradable products

Motor oils

Fats

Oils

Medicines

Paints

Food Scraps

Nappies

Pesticides

Cotton buds

Wrappers

If these products go into the system, they can cause:

Damaged pipes

Blocked pipe which may impact your property or your neighbour’s property

Harm to the environment

Where can I dispose of liquid waste?

You can take your household chemical products to a permanent or mobile drop off point, where they will be collected and safely disposed of.

Handy Hints:

Use a sink strainer to prevent food scraps and other household waste, from going down the drain. Consider using a compost heap to dispose of food scraps.

Pour kitchen fats and oils into a container, seal it and throw it in the bin.

Wipe greasy pots and pans with a paper towel before washing.

Dispose of items such as cotton buds, nappies, sanitary products in the household rubbish.

Use less detergent. The average household uses three times more than the manufacturers recommend.

Choose a washing detergent with a low salt content. Concentrates detergents often contain much less salt than conventional varieties.