Odors

As we all know sewage has a very "Bad" odor. But there are ways of controlling the odor from coming into our home and business. This is done by installing "traps" in your plumbing to prevent odors from reaching the building. There are various types of traps, such as a "P" trap and "S" trap. Another may be a "Bell" trap which is usually found in basement floors.

The purpose of all traps is to "trap" sewer gasses from passing through and entering our homes. When an odor does occur, it usually means that the water has evaporated or leaked out of the trap allowing the gases to creep into our homes.

Tip: If you have a drain such as a basement drain that is not used often, chances are that the water in the trap will dry. Pouring water into the drain once in a while will help. This will moisten the trap so the gases can not get through. Another tip is to pour a small amount of vegetable oil in the trap. The vegetable oil won't evaporate so the trap will stay moist in order to seal out the odors.

Grease Disposal

All of us, when cooking, have been tempted to pour grease down the sink or even put pieces of meat through our disposal. Then we run hot water to wash the grease down the drain. But what happens when the grease cools in your sewer lines? Once the grease cools it forms a layer on the inside of the sewer lines. After doing this a few times the flow within your lines becomes very slow and when enough grease accumulates the sewer lines become blocked. When this blockage occurs, the sewer will back up into your home through the drains. If the blockage is within your service lateral, you will have to call a plumber to unblock your line, which can be rather costly. (Caution: If you are experiencing a backup, always call the Public Service District at (304) 736-6711 first. The blockage may be in the main line which will be corrected by the District.) The district personnel can determine where the blockage is, and advise you to call a plumber if the problem is in your line. In the District's system grease causes not only blockages in the mains, but also interferes with the operation of the lift stations. This District spends thousands of dollars a month removing grease from lift stations and mains.

Chemical Disposal

Another ongoing problem faced by the sewer workers and the treatment plants is the disposal of chemicals through the sewer. This is a hazardous practice! Pouring a small amount of gasoline or paint thinner down the sewer system can create an explosive condition. Fumes from these chemicals can seep into other homes through defective traps and cause possible explosions.

Sewer workers often enter manholes for maintenance and cleaning. Chemicals poured into the sewer can use up the oxygen in the manholes and create a toxic or
even an explosive atmosphere that can injure or KILL a sewer worker.

At the treatment plant, these chemicals can create a toxic environment for our biological treatment. This eventually can cause problems with operations which can lead to an upset in conditions. This may result in the plant exceeding its permitted
levels and allowing pollution to enter the river.

Tip: Please be careful of what you put down your drains. And always remember to dispose of all chemicals and grease in the proper manner. These few tips will help in protecting Public Health and Our Environment....