We’re starting a new series to help you get to know the Village’s sewer system. In this series, we’ll look at the sewer system from the connection from your home or business to the municipal sewer infrastructure and wastewater treatment system.
Part 1: Connecting to the Village’s sewer system—What’s ok to flush?
We don’t think much about the sewer system when it’s working. You flush your toilet or rinse water down the drain in your home or business every day.
You are responsible for the plumbing in your home or business and the pipes from your building to the property line. You are also responsible for applying to connect to the sewer system. The Village, in turn, is responsible for the municipal sewer pipes, which collect wastewater or sewage from your home or business and the treatment of the collected wastewater.
What you flush (or don’t flush matters)
Whatever you flush down your toilet or drains ends up in the Village’s sewer system and, ultimately, the environment.
Many items that we use on a daily basis cannot go down our toilets or drains. Several products, even those labelled “flushable” or “biodegradable”, do not dissolve and putting them down the toilet or drain can cause:
- Damage or blockages in your home plumbing, which could lead to basement flooding
- Damage or blockages in the Village’s sewer pipes located under the streets, which could lead to basement flooding
- Damage to Village’s wastewater treatment plant\
- Harm to the environment and aquatic life in the Fraser River
There are only 3 things you can flush down your toilet: pee, poop, and toilet paper.
To keep the sewer system working well and prevent blockages that can result in major damage, keep the following products out of our pipes:
- Fats, oils, and cooking grease
- Personal hygiene products (for example, dental floss, wipes, sanitary pads, tampons and applicators, diapers, condoms, and cotton swabs)
- Medication (pills and liquid medicines)
- Household hazardous waste (cleaning products, paint, pesticides, and solvents)
- Car and garage products (brake fluid, motor oil, and antifreeze)