Keep Grease, Wipes, & Other Objects Out of the Pipes
Smart disposal of grease, “flushable” wipes, and other non-wastewater items can help protect you, our sources of drinking water, and our environment. Dumping these items down the drain is not only illegal, but it can also cause sewage back-ups and flooding. Sanitary sewer overflows can cause property damage and have a negative impact on the environment by entering lakes, rivers, and other sources of drinking water. PWC does its part to prevent overflows and we need our customers to do their part as well, by properly disposing of these items.
Other Resources
Your PWC Connections the Podcast Episode 59 – Keep Grease & Wipes Out the Pipes or Else! (21:26)
Don’t be a Pain in the Drain/Prevent Wastewater Backup (PDF)
In addition to fat, oil, grease, and “flushable” wipes, these items should also NEVER be flushed:
- Paper towels
- Cigarette butts
- Diapers
- Feminine hygiene napkins & applicators
- Condoms
- Q-tips/cotton balls
- Dental floss
- Kitty litter
- Medications/medical waste (syringes)
- Food wrappers
- Clothing tags
- Any plastic products
It’s Against the Law
DID YOU KNOW? It’s against the law to dump grease, wipes, and other non-wastewater items down the drain. The City of Fayetteville’s Sewer Use Ordinance (SUO) forbids it. The following sections of the SUO specifically address the discharge of these items into our sewer collection system.
Section 28-73 Prohibited Discharge Standards
B) Specific Prohibitions
2) Solid or viscous substances in amounts that may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer.
3) Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through.
14) Fats, oils, or greases of animal or vegetable origin in concentrations greater than two hundred fifty (250) mg/l.
Section 28-85 Grease and Oil Removal
B) For grease traps, the service shall be completed and documented at an interval not to exceed 60 days unless approval is obtained in writing from PWC.
PWC may require more frequent cleaning as deemed necessary. For under-the-sink interceptors, the service shall be completed and documented daily or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer.
F) The user shall maintain a written record on the site, of trap or interceptor maintenance, for three years.
Section 28-161
a) Any user who is found to have failed to comply with any provision of this Article, or the orders, rules, regulations and permits issued hereunder, may be fined up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)
per day per violation.
For more information or a complete copy of Fayetteville’s Sewer Use Ordinance, contact PWC’s Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator at (910) 223-4754.
