#SB50: Stadium prep includes flushing all 1,135 toilets, urinals, sinks at once. #SewerBowl

A bowl tradition unlike any other, behold the Super Flush.

When a stadium, arena, or large-scale entertainment venue like it opens, the plumbing is tested by flushing every single toilet, urinal, and sink drain at the same time. It's been coined the Super Flush.

It happened the year Super Bowl 50 host Levi's Stadium opened in 2014, when "hundreds of workers and volunteers" super-flushed the drains not only once, but for a full 30 minutes to ensure the water-pressure system functioned properly. It looks something like this:



While the earliest reference to Super Flushing we could find was 1998 in Baltimore, we suspect the practice predates this. Plumbing functions can be particularly stressed during big events, like in Cleveland in 2007 when 50,000 gallons of water overflowed from leaky toilets during a Kenny Chesney concert. A Super Flush of more than 100 johns after repairs were made confirmed the fix was effective.

The urban legend of a city sewer explosion due to a Super Bowl halftime surge is only a myth, but it remains one of our favorites.

LIST: 5 naughty things that will earn you a visit from Krampus this Christmas

Krampus says be good to your plumbing and your environment for goodness sake.

Don't be naughty this year.

Of course, St. Nicholas is known for bringing gifts to kids on the Nice list. The Naughty list earns children a more frightening visit from Krampus, a creature of European tradition who hands our more punishment than presents.

We want everyone to do the right thing and protect water. But if Krampus knows who's been bad or good, these are the Naughty things to avoid.

DIY: How to protect your plumbing in style when entertaining holiday houseguests

Some people have a habit of flushing things they shouldn't flush: Disposable wipes, paper towels, wrappers, cotton swabs, and a whole lot more. And when you're entertaining guests this holiday season, if you don't know their habits, they might be flushing something in your bathroom that could cause a problem.

Here's something that might come in handy. Download and print one of our 5x7 inserts [PDF], find a frame around the house, and place your new reminder somewhere near your bathroom sink or toilet.

Let us know if you put one to use. Happy holidays.

WATCH: Oscar-nominated director's toilet paper commercials will make you laugh. And paranoid.

What do you get when the twice-Academy-Award-nominated director of "Capote" and "Moneyball" makes toilet paper commercials?

Masterpieces.

These creative spots for Quilted Northern toilet paper were directed by Bennett Miller, and his approach peers through the unblinking eyes of inanimate objects commonly found in bathrooms everywhere. What do they see? Everything.

HISTORY: Thank you, Seth Wheeler, inventor of the perforated toilet-paper roll

Image credit Neptuul via wikipedia

Because we know you've been wondering, it was all Seth's idea.

The concept of rolled and perforated squares of toilet paper was patented in 1883 by Seth Wheeler.

Prior to Seth's innovation, toilet paper was sold commercially as flat sheets starting around 1857 thanks to Joseph Gayetty.

TP is a convenience many Americans take for granted—69% of Americans, according to Toilet Paper World—and much news has been made recently of the incredible shrinking rolls as companies have begun reducing the size of its squares without adjusting their prices.

The annual sales of disposable wipes have surged to a $6 billion industry in recent years, and the problems they have caused to sewer systems has grown as well. That's because disposable wipes should be thrown away rather than flushed: Wipes do not break down in plumbing and sewer systems as toilet paper does.

Much like Seth's invention, wastewater treatment is often taken for granted. And from an agency that treats 90 billion gallons of wastewater every year, we know that both conveniences deserve a tip of the lid every so often.

VIDEO: Sing along with the #12clogs of Christmas

Sinks, toilets, and drains in general tend to get a little extra work during the holidays, especially if you're hosting house guests.

That's why we created our #12clogs of Christmas infographic last year, and now have put it to song, to help you remember what to keep out of your toilets and drains.

RELATED STORIES:

• INFOGRAPHIC: 12 clogs of Christmas
• TIPS: 15 things not to flush
• WHY? Here's why water lines burst the way they do.
• HOME: 10 tips to protect your plumbing when entertaining this Christmas

Special thanks to Ruthie Spearman and Michael Uva for the audio!

WEIRD: Minnesota man faces charges after clogging toilets with pounds of nails

We have an entire list of things people shouldn't flush down the toilet. Looks like we need to add another one to it.

A St. Paul, Minnesota man is being charged with first-degree property damage after he was alleged to have dumped pounds of hardware-store nails down toilets in at least three different locations, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

BASEBALL: Drain delay as sewer backups, storms at Oakland Coliseum wash out exhibition game

Image via anywheresports.com

Maybe they should move the tarp from the field in Oakland into the clubhouse bathrooms.

In an endless flow of opportunities to connect clean-water news to current events, today we take you to Oakland, California where the Cleveland Indians will open the 2014 season against the Oakland A's tonight.

Oakland Coliseum plumbing has affected the home clubhouse in the past, and it happened again this weekend as toilets and drains backed up before an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants. One of the A's coaches caught it on video.



The backups occurred as a result of heavy rains, as reported by USA Today, streaming water into the facility where it shouldn't be.

Behind diamond seats at oakland coliseum #a's #sfgiants pic.twitter.com/YKirqLuXDl
— Scott Ostler (@scottostler) March 29, 2014

While not exactly the same, it sounds similar to the situation older cities face thanks to combined sewers—large pipes that collect sewage and stormwater in the same pipe.

In heavy rains, combined sewers reach capacity and have to find relief points, and in Cleveland, those relief points are called combined sewer overflows. We have a 25-year plan underway that will increase the sewer system's storage and treatment capacity to eliminate the need for overflows, which—to maintain the sports analogy—is a winning game plan.

There could be a number of reasons why the Coliseum's plumbing couldn't handle the flow, but the story lends truth to the belief that "sports is a microcosm of life." At least this sports headline is a microcosm of the country's infrastructure issues.

Thanks for sharing, Emily.

VIDEO: Watch how a toilet works in outer space. Because science.

ABC Entertainment News | ABC Business News

If you've ever wondered how astronauts go potty in space, here's a video. But don't worry, it's totally SFW.

This NASA clip featured on ABC News shows astronaut Cady Coleman playing with food in a very educational way to help answer one question that so many of us wonder. Using candy chocolate, Cady shows the Space Station toilet's suction, as well as how astronauts dispose of waste when their finished in the facilities.

Based on our previous blog posts, a toilet like this doesn't come cheap, but at least it will get a lot of attention even after its life in orbit is long gone. Fascinating, no?

INFOGRAPHIC: Fossilized feces? What dinosaurs left behind still fascinates. #DinoDoo

Haplocanthosaurus skeletal mount at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Scott Robert Anselmo via Wikipedia.

In our business, there is much to talk about when it comes to our "business." Our bodily functions and trips to the bathroom every day account for much of the flow we treat and release to Lake Erie.

But when unique opportunities arise to educate about the importance of clean water and the sewers that make that possible, we take them seriously.

Even if the phrase "dinosaur poop" does make you snicker.

TIPS: 10 unexpected uses for vinegar for cleaning, unclogging, and cats (Video)

From eliminating garbage-can odors to clearing clogs, vinegar has a lot more uses than just cooking. More importantly, it can eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals that can affect your plumbing and our environment.




For more healthy home tips, check out our "A healthy environment starts at home" handbook, a handy reference for recycling resources, disposal methods, and cleaning alternatives that will keep our water clean and environment safe.

TIPS: Your bowl is not super. #FlushResponsibly

One brew company estimated 50 million cases of beer are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, resulting in 1.4 billion trips to the bathroom.

With that many potty breaks, chances are that there's more being flushed down the toilets than fluids and good ol' TP.

We hope everyone celebrates today's football festivities responsibly, and we also encourage you to flush responsibly: That means not using your toilet as a trash can.

Garbage like napkins, paper towels, disposable wipes, wrappers and so much more can cause plumbing problems and even wreak havoc farther down the line in community sewers. Dispose of trash in the can and help save sewers and your own drains from potential problems.

PIC: Just Oprah fixing her toilet.

Originally posted at DailyMail.co.uk

Even media queen Oprah Winfrey needs to take care of her throne.

Gayle King, a friend of Oprah's, shared a photo earlier this month that proves anyone can benefit by knowing a thing or two about household plumbing basics.

Thanks to NYC Water for sharing a story that featured the pics, but the story itself was even better: "Seizing the throne," a quick counsel on common toilet maintenance. Complete with a handy graphic:

WEIRD: Sewer clogged by a pile of undergarments [facepalm here]

One of the most common sewer clogs in many cities sewer systems recently has been disposable wipes. They don't play nice with your plumbing many wastewater treatment systems.

Neither do underpants.

Yes, true story—this one out of the UK—Severn Trent Water reports that a sewer in the town of Shropshire was clogged and causing backups, until crews discovered and removed the culprit: "piles of pants that had been flushed down a toilet, somewhere nearby."

WIPES: Yep, still not flushable. Keep wipes out of pipes, Consumer Reports confirms

It's a headline we've been seeing for some time, but it's a tip worth sharing again: Flushable wipes really aren't flushable, and if you flush them you could be asking for plumbing problems.

This time, it's a story from WLS-TV out of Chicago.



RELATED: 15 things you shouldn't flush

RELATED: Quick and simple tip to help protect your plumbing if entertaining on New Year's Eve

TIPS: The #12clogs of Christmas [#infographic and video]

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but here's a wish list of a different kind.

If you whistle while you work preparing for holiday gatherings, here's a new take on a Christmas tune that will help you (or your guests) remember what not to put down the drain.

HOME: Holiday stress? Why water lines burst the way they do.

Photo courtesy justclaire, flickr

If you've every experienced a frozen or burst water line at home (our condolences if you have), "inconvenient" doesn't begin to describe it. However, the word "interesting" might.

We came across a technical but very educational blog post by Nick Berry as featured on Popular Science answering the question, "Why do pipes burst the way they do?"

LIST: 10 ways to protect your plumbing if you're hosting holiday guests

'Tis the season when your bathrooms could be working overtime. Are they ready for the holidays?

If you're hosting any holiday get-togethers, don't overlook one of the most essential rooms in your home. @ItsThePlumber Tim McKenna posted great tips to check before your guests arrive to ensure your bathroom and kitchen plumbing save you from any unnecessary stress.

What tips would you add to the list? Tweet yours using #h2olidays.

NEWS: Wipes in the pipes? Not a good idea, and it's national news.

That's the story that ran in USA Today this week, featuring cities' sewer issues being caused by an increasing number of so-called "flushable" disinfecting wipes clogging wastewater-treatment systems.

From the story:

The products appeal to consumers in part because of manufacturers' claims that they can be conveniently flushed down the toilet. But their cloth-like material doesn't break down in the sanitary sewer system like toilet paper and can block sewer lines, clog equipment and increase cities' maintenance and repair costs.

Public works managers say the problem has worsened in recent years because more such products are available on the market and consumer demand for antibacterial products is growing.

Companies such as Cottonelle and Charmin have heavily promoted bathroom wipes, while some cleaning product manufacturers have advertised sponges that can be disposed of in the toilet.

INFOGRAPHIC: What the flush? Weirdest things ever flushed down the toilet.

Some strange items survive the long journey through the sewers and into our treatment plants. But some of the best "lost and found" stories are much closer to home.

Contractor Fails composed a great infographic featuring some of the not-so-flushable items and their tales that topped its list of favorites.

Courtesy of: Contractor Fails