Partner with MetroConnects to be a strong sewer steward! Our highest priority is to protect public health and the environment through sustainable wastewater collection services. Together, we can keep our pipes clear and our water clean.

How Can You Help?

The first step to being a sewer steward is keeping your pipes in good working order. By practicing good sanitation habits, your wastewater can flow smoothly from your home to your local treatment plant with no interruptions in between.

1.  Avoid chemical drain cleaners. Not only do these do little to help clear your pipes, but they do damage in the process as well. The harsh chemicals weaken your pipes and can eventually cause leaks. Try non-toxic products to clean your sink, shower and toilet. A simple formula of vinegar and baking soda can clean up nicely and break down some minor clogs. For more stubborn clogs, try plungers and plastic snakes.

2. Use drain screens. Properly fitting drain screens and sink stoppers can keep the clogging culprits out before they ever become a problem.

3. Listen up! If your pipes are singing, pay attention. Bangs, whooshes, gurgles, drips and whistles can all be a signs of a problem to come.

4. Keep an eye on your landscaping. If you are experiencing slow draining, you might be having a root invasion problem. See “Fall Planting Tips: How to Create Sewer Safe Landscaping” for more on how to protect your pipes while planning your landscaping.

5. Never flush wipes (or anything else besides toilet paper). Even so-called flushable wipes can get stuck in the pipes (see this demonstration), causing costly clean up on your end and ours. Remember that other items that might seem “flushable,” like tampons, tissue, paper towels, cotton swabs, cotton balls and dental floss, are all also no-no’s!

6. Keep FOG (fat, oil and grease) out of your garbage disposal. Even if it seems to be slithering along smoothly, it will collect in the pipes and eventually backup where it congeals. Keep other sewer-clogging foods like fibrous vegetables, starchy pastas and grains, poultry skin, eggshells, and coffee grounds out as well. Best to put it all in the compost, when possible.

And the Most Important Tip of All

Call us first! If you find you have a clog, call us at (864) 277-4442. We can help identify the problem and suggest some next steps. If the clog is on our end of the pipes, we’ll repair it for free. Also, if you ever see a lid off a manhole, unauthorized personnel tampering with a manhole, a tree down on a sewer line, or wastewater overflowing from a manhole, please contact us immediately so we can take care of the problem. In the event of a sewer overflow, steer clear of the wastewater as it can be a health hazard (and, well, gross). Together, we can keep our community clean!

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