In some countries such as Brazil and Mexico household plumbing is not capable of handling toilet paper. What is different about the household plumbing of countries such as Canada that makes it capable of handling toilet paper?

serpa

It seems household septic tanks are not able to handle the paper like a city sewage system can. "If you have a municipal sewer system, yes you can flush the paper down the toilet since the municipal system can handle the paper from toilets. And if you have a private septic tank on your property, the same answer can be true since the bacteria in the septic tank can help break down the cellulose in the paper. Nevertheless, an excessive amount of toilet paper can be a problem by overloading the tank and slowing down the bacterial activity in the septic tank." Then a problem with bad pipes seems to make some house to sewer connections susceptible. "The problem is not the municipal sewer system, but likely the drainpipe between the toilet and the street drain connection. The typical problem is the type of pipe that has been used. Traditionally, drains from the house to the street were short sections of red clay pipes joined together. Over time, the clay pipes become porous and rough on the interior surface, and the joints between the sections of the pipes open up. Or due to low strength, the sidewalls of the clay pipes slowly collapse. The combination of these three deleterious conditions do not promote the easy flow of toilet paper along the sections of pipe. The toilet paper or waste product can become hung up on the joints, breaks or rough surfaces. Once stopped along the sidewall, they become a collection point for more and more toilet paper and waste, which eventually clogs the pipes and stops the flow of waste." http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2910-toilet-paper-and-mexican-plumbing Jan 10 10, 5:01 PM