A Message from: Eastern Municipal Water District, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Rancho California Water District, and Western Municipal Water District
When rinsed down the drain or flushed down a toilet, fats, oils, and grease (FOG); prescription and over-the-counter medications and personal hygiene products can wreak havoc on the sewer system. Take these simple steps from your local water districts to help maintain a healthy sewer, ensuring the safety of our communities and environment.
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)
To properly dispose of FOG products, mix them with absorbent waste materials like paper towels, coffee grounds, or kitty litter and place it in the trash. Also, make sure to wipe food scraps from plates and pans and dump them in the trash rather than your garbage disposal.
Personal Hygiene Products
Throw flushable wipes, cotton pads and swabs, and other personal hygiene products into the trash can. While “flushable” wipes infer that they can be flushed down the toilet, these wipes and other personal hygiene products get hung up on pumps and in pipes which cause major blockage in sewer systems.
Don’t Rush to Flush Medications
Dispose of unused medications using a pharmaceutical or homemade drug disposal pouch. Information for the proper disposal of medications is available through the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources and can be found online at rcwaste.org/WasteGuide/Medication.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration also provides steps to making your own at-home drug disposal pouch. Without crushing tablets or capsules, simply mix your medications with dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds; place the mixture in a sealable zip-top plastic bag; and throw the sealed bag away in your household trash.
Implementing these simple steps and having your sewer pipes inspected and cleaned periodically to eliminate harmful debris will ensure a healthy sewer system and a safe environment for our communities. For more information, please visit www.emwd.org/sewersmart