Sewer and Environment Protection

Sewer(swr.) is a system for transporting one of the following

• Sanitary swr., a system of pipes used to transport human waste

• Storm drain, a collection and transportation system for storm water

• Combined swr., a system performing both the functions of a sanitary swr. and a storm swr., Your home is connected to the Village sanitary swr. via a 6-inch underground pipe called a “lateral.”


Odors

If you experience swr. odors coming in your home, chances are that you have a drain trap in the house which has evaporated the water seal. This usually occurs in the lower levels of a home in floor drains which are not used very often. Just pour one gallon of water in the offending drain and this will usually rectify the problem.


Household Grease Disposal

The disposal of Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) into household drains is strictly prohibited; those substances that may cause an obstruction in the swr. line, or interfere with the operations of the waste water treatment facility.


Harmful Effects of Grease

Grease discharged to the swr. system can create several mechanical and environmental problems such as:

• Grease build-up causes blockages to occur in both the household plumbing and public swr. system.

• Swr. lines become coated with solidified grease and have less capacity to convey wastewater.

• This can lead to increased sanitary swr. back-up and flooding into homes during rain events.

• Increased costs of maintenance and repair of swr. pipes means higher sewer bills to all residents.

• Excessive grease that enters the treatment facility causes interference and operational problems.

• Blocked swr. pipes, if not detected early, can cause the release of untreated sewage (Sanitary swr. Overflow) onto the streets creating an environmental and public health issue.


Steps to Take

Residents can help the environment by taking several steps when handling and disposing of household grease:

• Never pour liquid grease or oil into a drain.

• Collect cooled oil and grease in a glass or metal, sealable container and allow it to solidify. It can then be disposed of in your regular trash.

• Dry wipe all plates, utensils, pots, and pans with disposable paper products such as paper towels or napkins before rinsing (using towels will only transfer grease into your washing machine rinse and back into the swr.)

• Inform and encourage all members of the household to follow proper grease handling steps.


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