After extensive flooding in Western Washington this month, residents were on alert for road closures, power outages, landslides, and…. rats in their toilets?
While it may sound shocking, rats entering homes through plumbing is a known, if uncommon, occurrence in the region. Heavy rain and flooding can overwhelm sewer systems and stormwater drains, creating pathways for rodents to travel through pipes and, in rare cases, emerge through household toilets.
In the wake of the two atmospheric rivers that hit Western Washington back-to-back this month, Public Health – Seattle and King County posted an advisory for residents: “The heavy rain and floodwaters may sweep rodents into the sewer systems. If a rat visits your toilet, take a deep breath and follow these tips.” The advisory came with cartoon illustrations, making it seem like a joke or a meme at first glance. But nope: this is a real occurrence, so if you live in the area, here’s the steps you can follow in this situation (courtesy of Public Health):
- Try to stay calm.
- Close the lid and flush.
- If the rat is still there, keep the lid and bathroom door closed and head to the kitchen for dish soap.
- Squirt some dish soap into the toilet (keeping the lid mostly closed).
- Try flushing again until the rat is gone.
- If the rat is too large to flush, keep the lid closed and call a pest control company.
- If the rat escapes from the toilet, shut the door and set a trap.
Public Health also offered several explanations for why this happens. Sometimes rats smell food or grease, so it’s important to keep your drains clean.
Another reason lies beneath the streets. Portions of Seattle’s sewer and stormwater systems, as well as those in nearby King County communities, date back more than a century. Many of these older systems combine household plumbing with stormwater runoff. Since rodents can easily enter storm drains, they can also access these interconnected pipes—some of which lead straight back into homes.
And if you want to keep a bottle of dish soap in your bathroom at all times from now on, we don’t blame you.