Sewage is a messy business, but depending on what’s being flushed down drains and toilets, it can be a costly one as well.

The #GettheFOGout campaign is aimed at helping the community understand the impact of washing fats, oils, greases (FOG), and wipes down drains and toilets.

What shouldn’t you flush?

Although fats, oils, and greases are some of the biggest culprits, other items can also cause major problems.

Along with bacon grease, meat oils, sauces, dairy, and cooking products, flushable wipes and tampons also contribute to blockages both in your household pipes and through the town’s water systems.

Is an item safe to flush if it says it's flushable?

Items like flushable wipes aren’t actually quite as flushable as their name suggests. Due to being made of synthetic materials, plastics, and polyester, these wipes do not break down, causing blockages and clogging sewers. Often, the FOG that also makes its way down the pipes will clump together with other flushed materials.

Why should you avoid flushing FOG and wipes?

The backups and blockages that occur can be difficult to fix, and the cost is high. Over time, waste water can surge into homes through floor drains, toilets, or cause sewage backups with a price-tag for home-owners of $2000-$8000 or more depending on the severity of damage to your home and pipes.

Work to clear stations and sewers can cost as much as $100,000 for the Town, depending on how large the blockage is, resulting in expensive repairs and tax dollars that cannot be spent elsewhere in the community.

How do you properly dispose of FOG, wipes, and other items?

Fats, oils, and greases can be disposed of using your Green Bin, however, they should never be put in while in liquid form. Do not put plastic or metal containers used to let the FOG materials harden in the Green Bin.

Larger amounts of liquid FOG materials can also be disposed of at Hazardous and Electronic Waste Events. You can find a schedule of these events on the Dufferin Waste mobile app or by visiting dufferincounty.ca/waste.

Green Bins are available from the local municipal offices, and at the County’s Edelbrock Centre at 30 Centre St., Orangeville.

Wipes, tampons, and other non-flushable items should be disposed of in the garbage.