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What things should you never flush down the drains and into a septic tank? What items and chemicals are safe to flush down the toilet and into a private septic system? What may damage the septic tank or leach fields? This document explains how to extend the life of the septic system by being careful about what goes into it.

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Diapers (here modeled by my grandson, Tanner D., but discretely hidden in the photo) and many other items which are not biodegradable will simply clog a septic system and are very likely to clog building drains. Other items that people may think about disposing-of by flushing down a building drain, such as chemicals or unwanted cooking oil are contaminants or can clog or damage the drainfield. Here are examples of other things that should not be flushed down a toilet nor down any other building drain (and onwards into the septic tank):

• Clothes dryer sheets used as fabric softener or to make your dry clothes "smell nicer" - the quantity of chemical in these sheets is unlikely to be sufficient to damage the septic tank bacteria, but the synthetic fabric from which dryer sheets are made will not break down in the septic tank. These items not only add to the solid waste in the septic tank, a dryer sheet might clog the septic tank inlet at the baffle.
  
• Cat Litter: clogs pipes, septic baffles - see Kitty Litter below
• Chemicals: photo chemicals (see page top photo), paints, thinners, oils, varnishes, pesticides, used motor oil, unwanted cooking oil should never be flushed down a toilet nor put into any other building drains.
• Cigarette butts are not biodegradable and should not be flushed into the septic system.
• Coffee grounds should not be flushed into the septic system.

• Dirt - such as from people who clean their flower pots in the bath tub should never be flushed down a building drain
• Drugs, prescription or prescription medicines, should never be flushed down a toilet unless your pharmacist or the drug manufacturer tells you specifically that the particular drug is absolutely harmless to the environment. See DRUGS INTO the SEPTIC TANK? for more details about what happens when we flush drugs into the septic system.

• Latex condoms, gloves, or similar products - we discuss condoms in septic systems further in the next section of this article.
• Paper towels and facial tissues (Kleenex(TM)) do not break down easily and should not be flushed into the septic system. Toilet paper breaks down quickly and should not be a problem in an ordinary septic tank system.
• Panty liners should never be flushed down a building drain
• Plastic bags or other plastic scrap or trash of any kind should never be flushed down a building drain
• Sanitary napkins should never be flushed down a building drain
• Swimming pool chemicals and swimming pool back-wash water should never be flushed into a septic tank. It may seem surprising but we've been asked if it was ok to discharge swimming pool into a septic tank
  • High volumes of water from a pool into a septic tank will flood the tank and prevent proper processing of the waste therein
  • High volumes of water from a pool backwash onto a drainfield will flood the field and prevent proper processing of the septic tank effluent that is meant to be discharged there.
  • You should not discharge swimming pool backwash into a septic tank, ever
  • You should not discharge swimming pool backwash anywhere within 100 feet of a drainfield..
  • See details about the effects of swimming pool backwash water volume, flow rate, and chlorine at CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER
• Tampons should not be flushed down a building drain
• Trash and scrap such as dental floss should not be flushed down a building drain
• Toys should never be flushed down a building drain - this may seem odd, but little kids may toss a toy car, doll, or other object into the john where it's at risk of causing a costly clog. At an apartment in Wappingers Falls, NY, the guest toilet frequently clogged and overflowed. We finally removed the toilet to find a huge toy bone wedged across the drain. Prior owners' dog perhaps had been washing off his treat. Had the bone moved end-ways into the drain this could have been a more costly repair.

• Water in large quantities from roof gutters or surface runoff should be directed well away from the septic tank and drainfield areas and should never be discharged into the septic system. A septic system for handling onsite wastewater is designed to handle normal household wastewater flows from showers, sinks, tubs, laundry, etc., not roof runoff or surface drainage. Do not let roof gutters or surface runoff drain into an area where that water can enter the septic tank or drainfield.

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WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?
NEVER FLUSH INTO SEPTICS
BETTER NOT TO FLUSH
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
OTHER CHEMICALS & DRUGS
CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER
CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER
DISHWASHERS vs SEPTICS
DRUGS INTO the SEPTIC TANK?
GARBAGE GRINDERS vs SEPTICS
REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE DISPOSAL
TOILET TISSUE?
TOILET TISSUE TEST
WASHING MACHINES
WATER SOFTENERS
* NO FLUSH SUMMARY LIST

• Thanks to reader Megan O'Connell for discussion of biodegradable cat litter disposal in septic tanks 04/2009.
• "It Blocks Cat Odors And Maybe Radiation - material used in litter is tested in sopping up nuclear contaminants", Andrew Revkin, New York times, 24 February 2000, p. B1. This article describes testing of cat litter used in a trench filled with zeolite (cat litter) to form a wall to intercept radioactive contaminated ground water seeping towards a stream that empties into Lake Erie. The article explains that zeolite is a family of 48 minerals that absorb odors an dmoisture, found in various brands of "animal litter". The most abundant mineral in the zeolite family is clinoptiloite that has a strong affinity for strontium 90.

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems


• Cesspools Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Drywells Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location


• Additives & Chemicals: Septic System Maintenance - Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Biomat Formation in the Septic System Drainfield Absorption System - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Buyer's Guide Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems Inspection & Testing - What to Do, Step by Step.
• Cheating on Water Tests - (Chlorine in Wells and Septics) Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - Water Test Cheating Warnings for Home Buyers and Home Inspectors
• Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
• What is a Septic System An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
• Contamination in Buildings how to test buildings for bacterial contamination from Sewage and Septic backup, remediation, & references
• Leach Field Inspection Procedure Septic Leach Fields - how to inspect and diagnose septic drainfield failures - what causes septic field failure?
• Maintenance: Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• Sewage & Septic Backups and what to do about sewage spillage in buildings
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Water Usage: Capacity: Determining Needed Septic Capacity - Typical residential water usage for people, appliances, and activities.

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