The holidays are a time for full kitchens, busy bathrooms, and hosting friends and family. But with all that extra activity, plumbing systems — especially sewer and septic systems — can quickly become overwhelmed.
What goes down your sink or toilet doesn’t just disappear. It either winds up in your onsite septic system or it travels through pipes and pump stations to Barnstable’s wastewater treatment facility. The wrong items can cause clogs, backups, and costly damage.
❌ Never Put These Down the Drain
During holiday cooking and cleanup, keep these items out of your sink:
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Grease and drippings from cooked meats
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Gravy, sauces, and cooking oils
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Butter, margarine, and shortening
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Salad dressings or mayonnaise
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Leftover food scraps
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Coffee grounds and eggshells
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Starchy foods like pasta or rice
Even if these items seem harmless, they can harden, expand, or build up in pipes over time leading to blockages in your home or the larger municipal sewer system.
🚽 Never Flush These Items
Your toilet is designed for human waste and toilet paper only. These items should always go in the trash:
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Wrapping paper
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Broken toys or toy parts
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Dental floss
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Diapers or wipes (even those labeled “flushable”)
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Tissues, paper towels, and napkins
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Food scraps from holiday cooking
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Feminine hygiene products
Flushing the wrong items can cause clogs in household plumbing, sewer backups, and damage to your onsite septic system.
💧 Small Habits Make a Big Difference
Being mindful of what goes down your drain or toilet helps protect your home, your neighborhood, and Barnstable’s wastewater infrastructure — and it supports cleaner water for our ponds, lakes, and coastal embayments.
This holiday season, a little extra care in the kitchen and bathroom can go a long way toward keeping everything flowing smoothly.
For more seasonal tips and water resource updates, follow @BarnstableWaterResources on Facebook and Instagram.