Weirton Sanitary Board
Tips about sewage!
Odors - By its very nature, sewage has a bad
odor! To control the odor in our homes and business, plumbing is installed with
"traps" to prevent the odors from reaching buildings. There are various
types of traps such as the "P trap" - (which is shaped like the letter P laid on
it's side). The "S trap" is shaped like the letter S and is usually found
under most sinks. Another type of trap is the "Bell trap". This trap
is usually found in basement floors.
All of the traps have one thing in common: they all must have water
in them to prevent the sewer gasses from passing through. When sewer odors occur, it
usually means that the water has evaporated or leaked out of the trap allowing the sewer
gas to pass through. Over time, some sewer traps become defective and
need to be repaired or replaced.
In basement drains, pour some water into drains that don't get used
often. For "bell traps", you can pour a small amount of vegetable oil in
the trap. Vegetable oil won't evaporate and will give you a good seal!
Grease disposal - How many times have you
been tempted to pour bacon grease or some other type of grease down the drain? You
may think, "I'll just rinse it with plenty of hot water and it'll be OK."
DON'T DO IT! When that liquid grease gets into the sewer lines, it can cool rapidly,
(even if flushed with hot water). Once it cools, it begins to form a layer on the
inside of the sewer pipe, constricting it's flow. Eventually, enough grease
accumulates and the sewer line becomes blocked. This will cause sewage to back up
into your home! If the blockage is in your service lateral, it may mean a service
call by a plumber costing you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars. (Caution - Always call the Sanitary Board
first at 797-8550, before calling a plumber. There may be a blockage in the main
line which we will correct. This saves you the expense of paying the plumber's
fees.)
To properly dispose of cooking grease, pour the grease into another
container which you can throw away in the trash when it cools.
Chemical Disposal - One of the ongoing
problems that are faced by sewer workers and the sewage treatment plant, is customers
disposing of chemicals in the sewers. This is a very hazardous practice!
Pouring a small amount of gasoline or paint thinner down the sewer can create an explosive
condition. Fumes from spent chemicals can seep into other homes through
defective traps and cause possible explosions.
Sewer workers often must enter manholes for maintenance and cleaning.
Chemicals that are poured down the drain, can use up the oxygen in the manholes and
create a toxic or 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 the operations
which can lead to an upset condition. This condition can result in the plant
exceeding it's permitted levels and allowing pollution to enter the Ohio River.
Remember to dispose of all chemical in a proper
manner. Don't pour chemicals down the drain!
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