Why can't I put used cat litter into toilet/septic tank? (tanks, drain)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hardened poop/clay lumps have a good chance of clogging smaller pipes and may not dissolve easily.
While feces are more or less okay to add to the human sewage stream, flushing rocks/clay/plastic is generally bad for sewage systems and can shorten the life of a septic-tank pump-out. Ideally, nothing should go into a ground tank that will not break down and slowly filter out into the leach field. Since we flush a lot of non-degrading things, tanks have to be pumped out every year to five years. Trying not to add to that load is a good practice.
I believe a lot of smaller sewage systems dislike animal waste in the stream, for complicated reasons.
Caution letting anything enter the drain field that isn't dissolvable in water. The only thing that should actually leave the septic tank and flow out into the drain field is the liquid.
Baffles prevent solids... - anything that floats or sinks - from getting into the drain field, until the levels of the solids becomes so high they reach the outlet. The reason tanks need to be pumped is it remove excess solids. Kitty litter is largely made up of clay.... not biodegradable and will contribute to the solids layer that will need to be pumped, and if it enters the drain field, would most certainly clog it up.
If you get the grocery store shopping bags when you shop, double or triple bag and toss the litter in the garbage. Adding clay to a landfill is not a bad thing. Also, save out the juicy chunks in an odorproof container and hold them until a couple weeks before Christmas, then load up an empty Amazon delivery box and leave out for the porch pirates.
Good lord, if you flushed cat litter every week you’d eventually end up with thick buildup of litter on the bottom of your septic tank. I can’t imagine the guys who pump out the tank would be very happy.
Any of the clay based stuff is a no-no for flushing down the pan. It will sooner or later likely congeal into what it is; a type of rock and create a full or partial blockage somewhere in pipes.
The sawdust and other "flushable" cat litter should be fine.
One main problem overall is that modern low flow toilets use far less water. Many barely can get the job done with human waste with one flush, much less clear pipes of cat litter (clay sort and or otherwise).
If you get the grocery store shopping bags when you shop, double or triple bag and toss the litter in the garbage. Adding clay to a landfill is not a bad thing. Also, save out the juicy chunks in an odorproof container and hold them until a couple weeks before Christmas, then load up an empty Amazon delivery box and leave out for the porch pirates.
This struck my funnybone and I am still LOL. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.
Good lord, if you flushed cat litter every week you’d eventually end up with thick buildup of litter on the bottom of your septic tank. I can’t imagine the guys who pump out the tank would be very happy.
And I can't think the cat owner would be happy having to have the septic tank pumped out at a greater frequency either.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
