Down the drain? Out with the trash?

Questions and answers about what should and should not
be disposed of in the public sanitary sewer system and the landfill.

Information from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) and
the Orange County Department of Solid Waste Management

April, 2007

Highlights

Many products that we use in and around our homes and businesses contain chemicals that are poisonous, corrosive, flammable, or otherwise harmful. 

Each year, a typical American household produces more than 20 pounds of hazardous waste. 

Many of those wastes, even in small amounts, can endanger people and our environment if they are not used and disposed of properly. 

Waste that is disposed of incorrectly may get into the soil or our groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes.

Each of us can make a difference by taking responsibility for the effects of products we buy, use, and dispose of.

Liquid wastes that are safe for disposal in the public sewer or “wastewater” system include bodily wastes; water from personal bathing, showering and washing; water from washing clothes and dishes; water from preparing food; and normal-strength cleaning fluids.

Refuse which is suitable for the Orange County Landfill includes routine residential, business and institutional items other than liquid, hazardous, explosive and medical wastes. Please read this brochure and/or contact the Orange County Department of Solid Waste Management for more information.

Household Hazardous Waste is collected at the Orange County Landfill on Mondays through Fridays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Saturdays from 7:30 am to noon.

 

What is wastewater?

Wastewater includes bodily wastes; water from personal bathing, showering and washing; water from washing clothes and dishes; water from washing, rinsing and otherwise preparing food; and water from normal household cleaning with household detergents and cleaners.

Wastewater is distinguished from stormwater.

Stormwater is rainwater that has fallen on  the ground,  a building, parking or roadway, etc. and  flows hrough ditches, storm drains and pipes, curb and gutter, etc. into streams, creeks, rivers and lakes.

What is a sanitary sewer?

A sanitary sewer is a publicly-maintained pipe, normally with an internal diameter of eight inches or more, which carries wastewater to a wastewater treatment plant.

 A wastewater treatment plant has physical, biological and chemical processes that treat wastewater so that it can be returned to the natural environment, usually at a stream, creek or lake.

In our community, the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant on the southeast side of Chapel Hill returns highly treated wastewater to Morgan Creek, a tributary of Jordan Lake.

The solid particles from wastewater are treated and converted into “biosolids” that are recycled on farmland to help grow crops for non-human consumption.

What kinds of wastes SHOULD go down the drain and into the sanitary sewer system?

The following items are normally suitable for disposal down the drain or toilet:

• bodily wastes and toilet paper;
• water from personal bathing, showering and washing;
• water from washing clothes and dishes;
• water from preparing food; and
• water used in routine cleaning of floors, counters, appliances, etc. including normal-strength cleaning fluids.

Reduce Your Waste!

Here are some simple ways you can reduce the amount of waste from your home or business:

• Buy only items you need and in the amounts you need.
• Use up any hazardous products completely, following the instructions on the label.
• Use non-toxic or less toxic products.
• Use multi-purpose cleaners rather than having a full collection of specialized cleaning products.
• Compost items such as vegetable food scraps and leaves.
• Please visit www.co.orange.nc.us/recycling/hhw for more information.

What kinds of wastes SHOULD NOT go down the drain?

The following items should not go down the drain because they can damage or block your drainpipes and public sewers, can damage the wastewater treatment plant or its biological processes, could harm your septic system (if you have one) or may be hazardous for other reasons.

• Solid waste including food waste and other garbage, trash, debris, sand, ashes, gravel, rags, animal tissue, etc.
• Fats, oil and grease including motor oil, other mineral oils and vegetable oil.
• Gasoline, kerosene, and other fuels and substances that may explode or burn.
• Anti-freeze or coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid and other automotive chemicals.
• Chemicals used in pools, hot tubs, etc.
• Corrosive substances (acidic or alkaline items including but not limited to those with a “pH” lower than 6 or higher than 10). 
• Fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides/insecticides including those in liquid form.
• Metals and metal compounds including mercury.
• Medical wastes including infectious wastes, blood and other tissue.
• Poisons and hazardous waste.
• Medication (drugs) and various personal care products. (Please see the additional information below.)
• Detergents with higher levels of phosphate than allowed under North Carolina law.
• Rainwater and stormwater including water from foundation drains, roof drains, etc.
• Water from a “sump pump” that gathers water in a basement, under a house, etc.
• Paint, stains, wood preservatives, solvents, sealants and thinners.
• Photographic compounds such as developing chemicals.

The list above is a summary intended to indicate types of items that should not go down the drain.

 If you have questions or comments about whether something should be disposed of in the sewer system, please contact OWASA Public Affairs at 537-4267 or send e-mail to webmaster@owasa.org.

What are household hazardous wastes and how should they be disposed of?

Household hazardous wastes are substances not suitable for disposal in the sewer/ wastewater system or in a landfill because they could harm the natural environment, animals, people, the landfill or the wastewater system.
The Orange County Department of Solid Waste Management collects household hazardous waste on Mondays through Fridays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Saturdays from 7:30 am to noon at the Orange County Landfill on Eubanks Road, which is north of Chapel Hill and west of NC 86 near I-40.

The Department of Solid Waste Management accepts limited amounts and types of small business hazardous wastes if the business calls ahead to make an appointment at 969-2072.

In order to participate in Orange County's Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator program, a business must be located in Orange County and the representative delivering the waste to the program must sign a document certifying that the business does not generate hazardous waste at a rate exceeding 100 Kg/month (220 lbs/month), nor do they generate acute hazardous waste (as defined in 40 CFR 261.31, 261.32, or 261.33(e)) at a rate exceeding 1 Kg/month (2.2 pounds/month).

Below are some of the items accepted in the Household Hazardous Waste Collection program:

• lawn, garden, and pool chemicals;
• household cleaners and chemicals;
• all batteries (also accepted at Solid Waste Convenience Centers);
• anti-freeze, used motor oil and oil filters (also accepted at Solid Waste Convenience Centers);
• other automotive fluids and chemicals;
• paint, sealants, solvents, etc.;
• aerosol cans (if empty, recyclable with residential or dropoff recycling);
• fluorescent light bulbs;
• larger amounts (more than one quart) of food-based fat, oil, and grease
• pesticides and herbicides;
• thermostats;
• cylinders containing compressed gases; and
• other items in your home that may be hazardous.

(Please bring items in their original containers with original labels intact whenever possible; do not mix wastes; and do not bring explosives, infectious wastes, or radioactive materials.)

For more information about household hazardous waste disposal, please call the Orange County Department of Solid Waste at 968-2788, or visit their website, www.orange.nc.us/recycling/hhw.asp.

Household hazardous wastes
received by the Orange County Department of Solid Waste
Management are carefully sorted before they are disposed of.

How to dispose of unused medication and other personal care products.

Prescription and non-prescription drugs, cosmetics, fragrances, lotions, sunscreen, medical diagnostic agents, etc. are sometimes called “PCPPs.”

PCPP  stands for personal care and pharmaceutical products.

When PCPPs are flushed down a toilet or put in a drain, their chemical components may end up in a stream, creek, river or lake because wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to remove them.

PCPPs in water are an area of growing scientific interest because their long-term effect on animals and people is largely unknown.

For example, there are concerns that PCPPs including steroids and antibiotics may over time affect the health of people and animals directly or indirectly.

Steroids may affect endocrine/hormone systems; bacteria and other germs exposed to antibiotics in the natural environment may develop resistance to them.

In general, we recommend that you dispose of medication and other PCPPs by:

• putting the PCPP item in a secure container and wrapping it in tape to help seal and prevent the container from opening. For example, a plastic container of unused pills can be wrapped in tape to close and seal it.
• putting the wrapped container in the trash for disposal at the Orange County Landfill.

Before putting unused
medication in the trash, wrap it with tape to seal it.

PCPPs are an area of evolving knowledge. Disposal recommendations may change and new requirements may come into effect as more becomes known about this subject. 

Fat, oil and grease (“FOG”) disposal

Fat, oil and grease (FOGs) from residences should NOT be disposed of in a sink, drain, or toilet.  Fat, oil and grease can block and thereby cause wastewater overflows from the public sewer system as well as blocking private plumbing drains.

Residents should dispose of small amounts (1 quart or less) of fat, oil and grease in a sealed container with household solid waste.

In general, liquids should not be disposed of with regular garbage.  Therefore, please make an effort to “solidify” fat, oil and grease by absorption into paper towel(s) or newsprint, etc.

Households with larger amounts of fat, oil, and grease should deliver these items to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection program (Please see the Household Hazardous Waste section of this brochure for more information.) 

Fats, oil and grease from businesses must be captured in a grease trap and regularly removed by a company that recycles the FOGs.

This is our only planet. Let’s take good care of it.

Orange Water and Sewer Authority

400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro, NC27510 Telephone: 919-968-4421;
Website: www.owasa.org E-mail: webmaster@owasa.org

Orange County Department of Solid Waste Management

1099 Airport Road , Chapel Hill , NC 27516 Telephone: 919-968-2788 Fax: 932-2900
Website: www.co.orange.nc.us/recycling/index.asp E-mail: recycling@co.orange.nc.us