Think about what you put down the drain.
Many common household items can clog your plumbing and damage the municipal wastewater system. That often leads to sewage backups and costly repairs.
The City of Maitland maintains 50 miles of pipeline with more than 40 mechanical lift stations to transport 1.3 million gallons of sewage every day. More than 3,500 customers share the responsibility to keep the public system working properly.
In the bathroom, do not flush disposable items like diapers, hygiene and cleaning products, paper towels, cotton swabs, Q-tips, bandages, dental floss or hair. Even wipes identified as “flushable” can clog the sewer system. Throw these items in the trash.
Don’t flush medications. Wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove traces of pharmaceuticals that eventually may end up in the environment. Almost all medicines can be thrown into your household trash. The Maitland Police Department also hosts a drug take-back event during the year.
In the kitchen, do not use your sink to dispose of fats, oils and cooking grease. Allow these items to cool. Then place them in sealable containers (coffee cans works great) and throw them in the trash for curbside solid-waste collection.
Use your kitchen garbage disposal sparingly for food waste. Be extra careful with pasta, potatoes and other starchy foods that can easily plug up plumbing over time.
Never flush harmful chemicals like paint, pesticides, solvents and automobile fluids. Maitland utility customers may take household hazardous waste to the Seminole County Central Transfer Station, 1950 State Road 419 in Longwood.