Sanitary Sewer

Sanitary Sewer

If you are experiencing a Sanitary Sewer related problem please contact the Public Works Department

Phone: (250) 636-9123
E-mail: operations@districtofstewart.com

Homeowner Responsibilities

Property owners and residents are responsible for cleaning, maintaining and repairing their waste water plumbing and the building sewers up to the property line.

You can assist in the trouble-free operation of your own by following these Do's and Don'ts:

DON'Ts

  • Don't pour fats, oils or grease down the sink drain. If pots and pans are oily or greasy, wipe them out with a paper towel before washing.
  • Don't wash food scraps down the drain. This includes tea leaves, coffee grounds and eggshells.
  • Don't flush the following products down the toilet:
    • Diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, convenience pads, surgical bandages, syringes or cotton-tipped swabs
    • Pharmaceutical products (tablets, capsules, liquids) - these should be taken to the pharmacy for safe disposal
    • Plastics and plastic film
    • Razor blades, condoms, cigarette butts, toilet deodorant dispensers
    • Nail polish remover, pantyhose
  • Don't place jewelry and valuables on the edge of the basin or the sink
    • Once flushed down the toilet, valuable and valued items are very difficult to recover. Take care not to drop dentures and wallets into the toilet
  • Don't use soap/detergent for washing up in the kitchen or laundry in excess of what the manufacturer recommends.
    • The average household uses three times more detergent than manufacturers recommend for washing dishes and clothes. When detergents enter the sewage system, they hold large amounts of oil, grease and fats in suspension making cleaning and treating the wastewater difficult and more costly. Reducing the amount of detergent used also means less phosphates in the environment to cause the growth of algae in water.
  • Don't pour paint, engine oil, pesticides or chemicals down the sink, and don't try to burn them. Hazardous materials can corrode the sewer and/or complicate the treatment process.
    • Dumping hazardous materials in the sewer is illegal and you could be heavily fined. This isn't only because of the threat of these hazards getting into the environment; but also because these chemicals pose a health threat to maintenance and repair crews working in the sewers. Similarly, by throwing hazardous materials in the garbage, you are creating a risk for garbage collectors.
      • Instead, store the chemicals in sealed containers and contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 1-800-667-4321 for advice on where to take them for safe disposal. Also, don't ever try to burn these chemicals in your barbecue, fireplace or incinerator - they could produce toxic fumes that could seriously damage your health. For further information regarding the disposal of waste and material recycling please refer to the Garbage and Recycling section.

DOs

  • Do let liquid fat, oil or grease cool and dispose of it in your garbage.  It is not recommended to place fats/greases on your compost heap, this can attract rodents and it will also slow the composting process.
    ***If your pots and pans are just oily or greasy, wipe them clean with a paper towel and put the soiled paper towel in the garbage
  • Do scrape excess grease in a container and dispose of it in the garbage
  • Do place food scraps in waste containers or garbage bags for disposal with solid waste; promote use of scraping of dishware prior to washing
  • Do use a strainer over the plughole in your sink, tub and shower. 
  • Do use the manufacturer's recommended amount of detergent for washing up in the kitchen or laundry. The average household uses three times more detergent than manufacturers recommended for washing dishes and clothes. When these detergents enter the sewerage system, they hold large amounts of oil, grease and fats in suspension making cleaning and treating the wastewater difficult and more costly. By cutting down on the amount of detergent used, there'll also be less phosphate in the environment to cause the growth of algae in water. Also, you'll save money on buying the detergents. 

 

Excess domestic water from leaking toilet tanks or faucets, running in cold weather, and rainwater that enters the sanitary sewer system creates one main problem:

  1. Sanitary sewer, pump stations and treatment plants are sized to accommodate only sanitary sewer effluent and are not sized to accommodate excess water that enters the system. These systems may overflow unnecessarily because of this extra volume of water. Overflows may result in property damage or negative impact to the environment. Also, there is an increased power cost to operate pump stations and treatment plant which is passed onto the taxpayers (you).