Refrain don't use the drain

Contacts

Municipal Office

395 Mulock Drive P.O. Box 328 Station Main, Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 4X7
905-895-5193

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​​​​Remember to properly dispose household items to prevent sewer blockages in your home. Do not flush or pour the below items in the drain or toilet.

Grease, fats and oils go in green bin. Before washing pots, pans and dirty dishes, wait for fats oils and grease to harden. Wipe with a paper towel or scrape into the green bin.

Grease, fats and oils include:

  • Butter or margarine
  • Shortening 
  • Lard
  • Salad dressing
  • Cooking oils (includes deep frying oils) 
  • Sauces and gravies
  • Meat fats
  • Sour milk and cream
  • Marinades
  • Sandwich spreads 

Liquid cooking oils like vegetable, canola, sunflower, and olive that won't solidify can be dropped off at one of York Region's Waste depots for recycling into biodiesel. 

Do not flush these items into the toilet. 

  • Single-use 'flushable' wipes, including baby wipes, make-up wipes​
  • Diapers
  • Feminine products
  • Cat litter
  • Paper towels
  • Bandages
  • Cotton swabs
  • Gauze 
  • Q-tips
  • Medication 
Not sure which items go where? Check out our waste and recycling mobile application​

When fats, oils, grease and certain household items are poured or flushed down your sinks, drains or toilets, they can clog the pipes that take the wastewater from your house to the treatment plant. As a result, this can cause untreated sewage to back up and flood your basement or your neighbours basement. The sewage could also back up onto the streets and surrounding areas in your neighbourhood and pollute the environment. Remember, the clearing of sewer blockages on private properties is the responsibility of the homeowner.