Clean Drain Campaign

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Fats, oils & grease

❌ It melts in your pan, not in your pipes.

Food products such as oils, meat grease, butter, gravy and salad dressing may go down the drain as liquids, but they cool and harden inside sewer pipes.

Pouring oil down the drain coats pipes and traps other debris, leading to blockages.

✅ Wipe greasy dishes before washing and collect larger amounts of grease for disposal. Small amounts can be wiped with paper towel and placed in your green cart. Larger amounts of cooking oil, i.e. from a deep fryer, should not be placed in the black or green carts and should be taken for recycling.

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Three P’s

❌ Your toilet isn’t a garbage can.

Coffee grounds may seem harmless, but they can build up in pipes and contribute to sewer blockages over time.

✅ Only flush the three p’s: pee, poo and toilet paper.

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“Flushable” wipes

❌ ”Flushable” doesn’t mean sewer friendly.

Unlike toilet paper, wipes don't break down quickly. They can snag on debris, create blockages and contribute to costly sewer backups.

✅ Throw all wipes in the garbage – even those that say they are flushable. This includes personal wipes, baby wipes and disinfecting wipes.

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Medication

❌ Never flush medicines.

Pharmaceuticals and other medicines do not easily break down in the wastewater treatment process and can pass directly into the South Saskatchewan River.

✅ Take unused or expired medications to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.

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Paper towel

❌ Not all paper belongs in the toilet.

Paper towels are designed to stay strong when wet, making them difficult to break down in sewer pipes.

✅ Put used paper towels in your green cart or garbage. Used paper towels can’t be recycled.

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Coffee grounds

❌ Don't dump it. Compost it.

Coffee grounds may seem harmless, but they can build up in pipes and contribute to sewer blockages over time.

✅ Instead: Put coffee grounds in your green cart or compost pile.

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Cat litter

❌ Keep it out of the toilet.

Cat litter doesn't dissolve in water. It can settle in pipes, cause clogs and create problems in the sewer system.

✅ Put used litter in your garbage, never in your green cart.

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Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

❌ Keep chemicals out of the drain.

Household hazardous waste products such as paint, solvents, household cleaners and motor oil, place stress on the sewer system and create risks to public and worker safety.

✅ Recycle hazardous waste at the City’s Material Recovery Centre – free drop-off on Wednesdays. Learn more here.