The safest rule is simple: only pee, poo and toilet paper should be flushed. Everything else belongs somewhere other than the toilet.
Quick answer
Never flush wipes, paper towels, facial tissue, feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, dental floss, hair, cotton swabs, grease, food, cat litter, medication, chemicals, paint or oil into a sewage pump station. Products labelled flushable can still wrap around impellers, jam floats, block check valves and collect inside discharge piping.
Can a Sewage Pump Handle Wipes?
No sewage pump should be expected to handle wipes reliably. A solids-handling pump may pass some wipes on some cycles, but that does not make them safe for the station. Wipes do not break down like toilet paper. They stretch, twist and combine with grease and other debris to form clogs.
Metro Vancouver states that wipes belong in the garbage even when they are labelled flushable, compostable or biodegradable. The regional guidance says pee, poo and toilet paper are the only things safe to flush.
What Not to Flush
What Not to Flush- Disposable, cleaning, baby and personal wipes of every kind.
- Paper towels, shop towels, napkins and facial tissue.
- Tampons, pads, liners and applicators.
- Condoms, diapers and incontinence products.
- Dental floss, hair, cotton swabs and bandages.
- Cat litter, pet waste bags and aquarium gravel.
- Food scraps, coffee grounds, fats, oils and grease.
- Medication. Return unwanted medication to a pharmacy.
- Paint, solvents, fuels, pesticides, oils and harsh chemicals.
- Rags, clothing, mop heads, strings and plastic packaging.
Why Unflushables are Especially Hard on Pump Stations
A gravity sewer blockage is serious. A pumped system adds moving parts and controls that give debris more places to cause a failure. Stringy material can wrap around an impeller or shaft. Grease can coat floats so they do not move freely. Rags can jam a check valve. Debris can also reduce the effective volume of the basin, causing the pump to start more often.
The result can be higher electricity use, short cycling, repeated alarms, emergency callouts, pump damage, sewage backup or an overflow. In a strata, one resident’s disposal choice can affect every home connected to the station.
What is the Difference Between a Sewage Pump and an Effluent Pump?
A sewage pump is designed to move raw wastewater and specified solids from a basin to a sewer or septic system. An effluent pump usually moves settled or treated wastewater after larger solids have been separated, such as liquid leaving a septic tank or treatment component.
The distinction matters because pump passages, impellers, screens, flow and head capabilities differ. An effluent pump should not be used as a substitute for a sewage solids-handling pump unless the system design and manufacturer specifically allow it.
In BC’s onsite sewerage regulation, effluent has a specific legal meaning tied to domestic sewage that has been treated and discharged into a discharge area. In everyday pump terminology, the word is sometimes used more broadly for screened or settled wastewater. The station documents and pump data plate should be used to identify the actual application.
What about Grinder Pumps?
A grinder pump does not turn a toilet into a garbage disposal. Grinder pumps are selected for specific pressure and piping conditions. Wipes, rags, feminine hygiene products, plastics, metal and abrasive material can still jam or damage cutters and other components. The only safe rule remains pee, poo and toilet paper.
Stormwater Stations Need Protection Too
Stormwater stations are separate from sanitary sewage systems, so toilets should never discharge to them. Their most common debris problems come from leaves, silt, gravel, garbage and site runoff. Property owners should keep catch basins and grates clear and prevent paint, oil, concrete washout and other contaminants from entering storm drains.
A Ready-to-Use Strata Notice
To protect our building’s sewage pump station, please flush only pee, poo and toilet paper. Wipes of every kind, including products labelled flushable, must go in the garbage. Paper towels, feminine hygiene products, condoms, floss, diapers, grease, food and cat litter must never be flushed. These items can jam pumps, trigger alarms and cause sewage backups that affect the entire property.
When a Blockage has Already Happened
If fixtures are backing up, the station alarm is active, the pump runs without lowering the level, or a breaker trips, reduce use immediately and call for service. Do not open or enter the wet well and do not repeatedly reset electrical protection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Revolution Pump Service provides troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, installation and replacement for sewage and effluent pump systems.
Items such as wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, grease and other materials that do not break down easily can cause blockages and damage pumping equipment. Even products labelled “flushable” can create problems in wastewater pump systems.
It depends on what has failed and the condition of the pump. Problems with floats, controls, electrical components, piping or other parts of the system may be repairable. If the pump itself is badly worn or damaged, replacement may be the better long-term option.
Pump life varies considerably depending on the pump, installation, usage, operating conditions and maintenance. Rather than relying on a specific number of years, the condition and performance of the system should be assessed when deciding whether repair or replacement makes sense.
The appropriate service interval depends on the system, its use and operating conditions. Regular inspection and preventative maintenance can identify worn components, float problems and other issues before they result in a failure.
An alarm usually indicates that the liquid level in the basin has risen higher than it should. This can be caused by a pump failure, float or control problem, blockage, electrical issue, or more wastewater entering the system than the pump can handle.
Common signs include alarms, slow drainage, unusual noises, frequent cycling, unpleasant odours, wastewater backing up, or a pump that runs continuously or does not run at all.
A sewage pump is designed to move wastewater containing solids, while an effluent pump typically moves liquid wastewater after solids have settled or been separated. The right pump depends on how the system is designed and what it needs to handle.
No. They do not break down like toilet paper and can clog piping, wrap around pump components and damage station equipment.
No. Paper towel is designed to remain strong when wet and belongs in the garbage or green bin when locally accepted and used only with food.
Pee, poo and toilet paper. That simple rule protects both the property pump station and the public sewer system.
References
- Metro Vancouver: Adult Toilet Training
- BC Sewerage System Regulation
General information only. Site conditions, manufacturer instructions, permit requirements and local bylaws may differ. Do not enter a wet well or perform electrical work unless qualified and authorized.
