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Power To Save: Be Careful of What You Flush

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — “A toilet isn’t a trash can.” That’s the message from officials at the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority i...

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- "A toilet isn't a trash can."

That's the message from officials at the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority in Hanover Township in Luzerne County.

"There's only three things that should go in a toilet -- liquid human waste, solid human waste, and toilet paper," explained WVSA director of operations Bernie Biga.

We toured the wastewater treatment facility to get a better sense for why that is.

"The bar screenings, it's the first treatment here. We remove large pieces, as you can see."

It didn't take long to see what types of things people are dumping down the drain.

"As you can see, then the grease and oil that people put down their drain, garbage disposals, which they shouldn't, end up here along with a lot of other plastic products," Biga said. "What it does, it really shortens the useful life of our equipment out in the field and also here."

Biga said the biggest culprit is disposable wipes.

"I think people aren't aware of what problems it causes. I think if more people knew, they wouldn't do it."

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