Improper disposal of products in Region’s sanitary sewer

York.ca
July 18, 2019

York Region continues to look for ways to keep products which are improperly disposed of out of our sewer system.

Over the last several years, York Region has noticed an increasing number of issues in wastewater infrastructure caused by improperly disposed items such as “flushable” wipes. As well, items such as fats, oil and grease, paper towels and wipes cost the Region approximately $1 million per year for these to be removed from the sewer system.

York Region is taking a multi-pronged approach to address these issues, including:

• Advocating for provincial and federal governments to take action to improve product design and labelling
• Working with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association and Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group to advocate for a Canadian standard for “flushable”
• Strengthening the Sewer Use Bylaw to further protect wastewater infrastructure
• Educating residents the only flushable product is toilet paper

York Regional Council has included these comments in a detailed response to Reducing Litter and Waste in our Communities Discussion paper to Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.