(Newser) – Wastewater officials across the country are trying to spread the message that you can't just flush anything down the toilet, and they're taking particular aim at wipes. Vancouver, Wash., has a campaign called "Smart Bunnies" that shows a bespectacled rabbit sitting on a toilet and the tag line: "Smart bunnies flush only toilet tissue ... All wipes and other products will clog the pipes!" According to campaign materials, "Many new products, such as wipes, claim to be flushable. However, that doesn't mean they're treatable in our wastewater system." Among items it says don't belong in the toilet: cleaning rags, reinforced paper towels, baby diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, and medical bandages, tubing, and pads.

A public awareness campaign by the Orange County Sanitation District in California called "What 2 Flush" emphasizes that the toilet is meant only for the three Ps—pee, poop, and toilet paper. It even says facial tissues are too sturdy to be flushed. Among the more unusual items it says people commonly flush that risk causing clogs: cat litter, condoms, and dental floss. A study by the Portland Water District in Maine in 2011 analyzed what was causing clogs in their sewer pipes and came up with this analysis:

42% paper products, including paper towels

24% baby wipes

17% hygiene products, including feminine pads and tampons

8% "flushable" wipes

Remainder, other items: including household wipes, cosmetic pads, and medical materials.

(Read more sewer stories.)