My Sewer Responsibilities

What Can I Flush?

What can go down the drain?

There are a variety of items that are safe to dispose of down the drain, including:

• Toilet paper

• Human waste

What cannot go down the drain?

• Fats, oils and grease (FOG) should never be poured down the sink, garbage disposal or toilet. These products build up inside the collection pipe and may cause the sewer main to plug.

• 

  Bathroom wipes and feminine hygiene products even if they are advertised as “flushable”. Flushing these products is the leading cause of sewer backups.

• Kitty litter, even if it is advertised as “flushable”. Kitty litter  contains clay which will narrow the opening of your sewer pipe and increase the risk of a backup.

• Household hazardous materials, such as motor oil, pesticides, paint and solvents, should never be poured down the drain. All of these are highly toxic and will cause long-term damage to the environment. Dispose of these items by contacting the South Utah Valley Solid Waste District (SUVSWD). Many of these items can be disposed of at the transfer station (518 W 3450 N).

• Sewer pipe cleaning chemicals – use carefully and sparingly. Follow label instructions closely to avoid dangerous fumes, skin and eye injury, and pipe and fixture damage. Proper care of your home sewer pipes will decrease the need for chemicals.

• Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications contain chemicals that shouldn’t enter the wastewater supply. Keep in mind that sewage is treated and recycled, so we want to keep our wastewater as chemical-free as possible. The wastewater treatment plant was not designed to remove all those chemicals from the water. Prescription drugs may be dropped off at the Spanish Fork Police Department (789 W Center St). Additional information regarding the proper disposal of medication is available on the Use Only As Directed website.

• In addition to not flushing certain items, use your garbage disposal sparingly! Never use your garbage disposal as a substitute for the trash can. Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, and grills and cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal. Be especially careful with pasta, potatoes, and other starchy foods. Starch and water make paste, which can plug pipes. Be even more careful with what goes down the kitchen drain if you don’t have a disposal. Put strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty the strainers into the trash for disposal.

Tree Root Prevention

Before You Put Down Roots

Spanish Fork City Wastewater Department is responsible to maintain the city sewer mainlines whereas individual house laterals are the responsibility of each homeowner. We want to help you avoid root problems with your sewer laterals as this will benefit all of us. So please, before you plant trees on your property, read carefully.

The Root of the Problem

As trees grow their roots expand and look for moisture. The warm water that flows out of your house and through your pipes (whether or not they are cracked) will attract such roots. Continuing to grow roots will penetrate any crack or pipe joint to reach the nutrients and moisture inside. Tree roots inside of pipes are an obvious problem as toilet paper and other debris will get caught and cause blockages. As the roots continue to grow they will expand inside the pipe completely filling the space. In many cases as the roots expand and exert pressure on the pipe blockages and pipe-breaks occur. What can be done to avoid all these problems?

Avoiding Root Problems

Before planting trees make sure you have identified where your sewer lateral is located. This can be done by locating the sewer cleanout on your property or by calling Blue Stakes at 811. After identifying where your lateral is located avoid planting trees near the lateral.

Already Planted Trees?

If you have already planted trees near your sewer lateral you can simply call a local plumber to come and perform a lateral inspection. This will allow you to know whether or not there are any root problems with the trees already planted. If a problem is identified there are measures that can be taken to fix it which can also be explained by a local plumber.

Lateral Maintenance Responsibility

Retail Sewer Service Line Disclosure

The retail sewer service lateral line is the pipe that extends between the main sewer pipe in the road and a home or business. Spanish Fork City is responsible for pipe repairs from the main line in the road to the property line on residential properties. Owners of non-residential property shall be responsible for pipe repairs all the way from the main line to the building. All property owners are responsible for the cleaning and clearing of their entire service line.

All users of City utility services shall keep their service lines and connections and other apparatus in good repair and protected from frost, trees, and other hazards at their own expense. No person shall be allowed to dig into a City right-of-way for the purpose of laying, removing, or repairing any utility line without first obtaining an excavation permit from the City. See Title 13.04.030H and SB 45.