Greenpeace recently held a beach cleanup in Halifax and was shocked by the number of tampon applicators they found washed up near Tufts Cove

Halifax Water is urging people to limit what they flush to human waste and toilet paper.

Spokesperson James Campbell said the harbour's five wastewater treatment plants are designed to treat those two materials.

Greenpeace recently held a beach cleanup in Halifax and was shocked by the number of tampon applicators they found washed up near Tufts Cove.

"Suggesting those are being flushed down the toilet and they aren't being captured by water treatment," said Sarah King with the environmental advocacy group. "It is a good reminder that what we put down the drain and put down the toilet ends up in the environment."

Campbell said, even though tampon applicators should not be flushed, the wastewater treatment plants do capture solids like tampon applicators so they don't end up in the harbour.

He explained when Halifax gets a heavy rainfall and the system is at maximum capacity, water is diverted into combined sewer overflow chambers.

"These chambers have screens on them that screen out the floatable material and when the rain event drops down to lower levels where the treatment plant can operate at full capacity, the chambers shut down."

In extreme weather it's possible the screen on the overflow chamber could reach capacity which could cause spillover of material into the harbour, but that is a rare occurrence.

"I don't know how old some of these things are," Campbell said about the plastic applicators. "Some of them could be pre-treatment. The Harbour Solutions plant has been operating since 2009."

He suggested they might also be washing in with the tide or discharged from passing ships.

Regardless of how they ended up there, Campbell stressed that a toilet should not be used as a garbage can.

"They shouldn't be flushing disposable wipes, tampon applicators, dental floss, anything down the toilet other than human waste and toilet paper."

He explained dental floss can wrap around wastewater pumps and jam them up. In addition, despite their name, flushable wipes aren't flushable and can also create a blockage.

"Ultimately the ratepayers are paying for this when we have to repair these things, so it's in everybody's best interest, and the environment's best interest, not to flush these things in the first place."

He said Haligonians should be proud of how clean the harbour has become in the past 10 years.

When asked if he'd go for a swim, Campbell said he already has.