Drain care FAQs

Canberra sits in a very privileged position far upriver within the Murray-Darling Basin. The water in our rivers flows downstream, through three states, to support many rural communities.

Because of this, we have a responsibility to treat our wastewater to a very high standard before returning it to the environment.

Our wastewater facilities use complex treatment processes to remove the nutrients, organics and harmful organisms within human waste. This means that our processes were not built to effectively treat for the substances found in animal faeces or certain household chemicals.

To meet our high standard, we need to actively discourage the flushing of anything that might disrupt our delicate river ecosystems. Like, for example, animal faeces.

Our wastewater treatment process is designed to remove nutrients, organics and harmful organisms found within human waste, not animal faeces.

Animal waste can contain harmful microorganisms such as Toxoplasmosis and Toxocara (roundworm), which are not effectively eliminated in standard treatment processes. This can pose health risks, especially to individuals with weak immune systems and pregnant women, and can contaminate river systems used for drinking water and recreation.

Because there are communities downstream of us, we have a responsibility to keep our rivers as clean and healthy as possible.

Animal litter absorbs liquid and hardens, which can cause serious blockages within Canberra's wastewater network.

This can result in wastewater backflowing into your home, or create big issues for people upstream of the blockage (including you) whose waste is no longer draining away. In the case of especially large blockages, damage to the network can cause waste to enter the environment.

For most people, wrapping your animal litter securely and popping it in the garbage bin is the safest means of disposal. A small number of people, with a suitable setup, can compost their pet litter as soil conditioner for their ornamental gardens.

This prevents blockages and helps maintain the effectiveness of our wastewater treatment process.