Should You Flush Dog Poop?
We know you've been wondering: What's the safest way to dispose of pet feces?
Toilet.
Leave it to a Facebook neighborhood group in town to ask the big questions. And this week’s query is this: “Is it safe to flush your dog’s poop down the toilet?”
The answer is yes, if it’s not in a bag.
“Never flush plastic bags or any kind of plastic down the toilet. The same goes for ‘flushable’ wipes and disinfecting wipes,” says Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District spokesperson Bill Graffin. The bags and wipes can cause problems not only for sewer systems, but also for the plumbing in your house.
The Environmental Protection Agency endorses flushing as a safe way to dispose of dog feces.
But while Fido’s waste is fine in a toilet, make sure to keep Fluffy’s out. Cat feces can contain Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can infect people and animals. Many municipal water treatments do not have equipment or processes to kill the parasite.
Still torn on what to do? The Natural Resources Defense Council said in 2016: “Believe it or not, the best solution is simply to throw pet waste in the trash.” But they would prefer you avoid plastic bags altogether.
The one thing you definitely want to avoid is leaving the pet poop on the ground. It’s not a good fertilizer and can contain a host of diseases and worms that could end up in the water supply. Your neighbors, including many members of the East Side Neighborhood -Milwaukee Facebook group also will find it unsightly.
“But they would prefer you avoid plastic bags altogether.”
What do they want you to do – just throw it in the garbage can without any bag at all? I can’t imagine the crews will enjoy that, especially in July?
@Ellen – I was referencing the NRDC’s longstanding campaign against the use of throwaway plastics and support of reusable or biodegradable products.