You may have heard that you shouldn’t flush toilet paper in the toilet in Sicily and Palermo, but you may wonder if this is true. After all, it’s just a big old bowl with water and some sort of magical flushing device on top. It can handle TP, right?
If you’re thinking about going to visit Sicily and Palermo and wondering if you can flush toilet paper in the restrooms there or not, then this article is for you. Keep reading to find out!
What Is the Big Deal with Flushing Toilet Paper?
Toilet paper is generally made of either paper or a combination of paper and cardboard. Toilet paper is specifically designed to wipe away solid waste and clean your delicate areas. Toilet paper dissolves in water and can often be flushed.
This requires an advanced system of drains and wastewater processing facilities though. These wastewater processing facilities make sure that the dirty water doesn’t get into the local rivers as this can cause a lot of problems. If these facilities have to process toilet paper as well, they have to be more advanced and this requires a big investment.
Not every country or city has this advanced system. This might be because the country is quite large or because they decided to invest the funds somewhere else.
You will mainly find these plumbing systems in America, Asia and Europe. More rural areas can have septic systems that process the wastewater locally.
In some areas of the world, the width of the drains is not big enough and toilet paper would clog them. Wastewater would back up and make the toilet overflow. This can result in wastewater all over the house.
Next to bad smells, it also results in a dirty house. When those pieces of toilet paper break down, they create a very thick, sludgy substance that winds up jamming your household pipes and the local sewage systems. When these materials enter the sewer system, they cause major problems.
In some instances, it can be removed by flushing a lot but this is not always the case. A plumber will have to come out to clear the drains with a water jetter or an auger.
This costs quite a lot of money. If there is a big clog, it might be needed to dig up the drain and open it up. This is a lot of work and can result in a big expense.
Can You Flush Toilet Paper in Sicily and Palermo?
The short answer is “yes”. The plumbing system in these locations is able to process toilet paper. You should find toilet paper next to the toilet and you can use it as you normally would.
In more rural areas this might not be the case though and you have to dispose of the toilet paper in a bin.
Sicily is part of Italy. They have a similar toilet system. In some rural areas, you might encounter squat toilets. These are quite hard to use if it is your first time. In essence, they are just a hole in the ground.
You have to squat if you want to use this. There is often a flush that is activated with a foot pedal. Most toilets have sitting toilets though so it shouldn’t be a problem in most instances.
Some countries such as Dubai use a bidet. In other countries such as Greece, you have to throw the toilet paper in a bin. In Sicily and Palermo, you can just flush the toilet paper and be done with it.
They have an advanced wastewater system that processes the toilet paper to make sure that the water is clean before it gets into the rivers. There shouldn’t be any problem with using toilet paper in Sicilia and Palermo.
Just make sure that you don’t use paper that is too cheap. You can test this by dipping it in water three times and see if the toilet paper dissolves. If it doesn’t, it can indicate that you should get other toilet paper as it might clog your drains.
You can’t flush wet wipes or paper towels though as these don’t dissolve in the toilet drains and can cause clogs. A plumber might have to remove these with heavy equipment.
The same is true in other countries as toilet systems are not designed to flush these items. For this reason, you should only flush toilet paper and no other types of paper. This is the case for any toilet though as they are not designed to deal with items that don’t dissolve in water.
Plumbers often get called out to fix clogs that have been caused by wet wipes. This can create a lot of damage so this should be avoided at all costs. You also shouldn’t flush food scraps, cooking oils or other waste. These should go in the bin.
Some people have a septic system in this city but you should be able to flush toilet paper anyway. If it isn’t allowed, you should see a sign indicating this.
Do they use toilet paper in Sicily (Sicilia) and Palermo?
Yes, they use toilet paper in Sicilia and Palermo. You should find it in every toilet stall. You can ask for more if it has run out. It is the same quality that you are used to at home so you will have a similar experience.
Sicily is a part of Italy. You will notice a lot of similar cultural influences. They have their own identity as well though.
You can go by plane or by car (if you take a ferry).
It is possible to rent a car but you can also take public transport to move around. The public transport can be quite slow so plan your trip in advance if you need this.
It can be a great relief to know that you can use a toilet as you are used to after eating too much pasta. Just use toilet paper and flush it afterward.
In Sicily, you can go to the beach or to the mountains. The towns also have their charms.
When it comes to public restrooms, you should always follow the rules that are posted. In the restrooms in Sicilia and Palermo, you should flush toilet paper.
Have a great trip to this special country.
