Water Matters: Dec 2021 Edition

It’s almost magical watching all the discarded food scraps disappear as you push it off plates and into the sink where the flow of the water aided by the power of the garbage disposal carries it off to somewhere else. But we never look at it this way. We just want it gone. We’re tired. We want to relax. Cleanup is a matter of convenience…until a clog occurs. Then we’re running around trying to find that plunger, hoping it’s a quick fix so we can just finish up! Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Here are a few tips to help ensure those invaluable pipes remain unrestricted and flowing year-round:

Proper Disposal of Fats, Oils, Grease (F.O.G.)

Typically a byproduct of cooking, fats, oils, and grease (F.O.G.) harm the pipes by attaching to our drains the same way they clog our arteries. The EPA estimates that approximately 47 percent of sewer backups are grease-related. F.O.G. can be found in many types of food including:

Instead of pouring items containing F.O.G. down the drain, follow these tips:

• Scrape F.O.G. and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, grills and cooking surfaces into a disposable container or directly into your trash can.
• If you have F.O.G. left in a pot or skillet after cooking, let it cool and then pour into a disposable container. Soak up any left in the pan by wiping it with a paper towel or newspaper. You can simply throw it in your trash or freeze it first to solidify and minimize leaking.
• Use a strainer over your drain to catch food scraps then dump it in the trash.
• Most F.O.G. can be safely reused if you strain out the solids. Consider storing it in a clean container and then use it for cooking later. There are many other creative uses for F.O.G. – search the internet!
• For larger quantities, there are places that will recycle grease and used cooking oil for you. The Lake Travis Regional Re-Use & Recycling Center would be the closest location, although it is only open certain times a year.

Foods Unfriendly to Garbage Disposals

In addition to avoiding greasy, oily foods from going down your drains, minimize the use of your garbage disposal. Some items can harm the appliance while others shouldn’t enter our sewer system:

• Fibrous, stringy, starchy food, such as banana peels, celery, potato peels, and green beans can get wound around the grinder plate causing it to minimize in efficiency or become jammed.
• Things you can’t cut with a knife, like bones or fruit pits.
• Abrasive materials, such as eggshells and coffee grounds. They just pile up and cause a sludgy mess within the grinding chamber. They’re great for compost though!
• Pasta and rice, which swells with water and can also stay stuck in the grinding chamber. It may be the cause of that smell emitting from your sink in the morning!

The 3 Ps

While we’re at it, another drain down which all kinds of things are thrown is your toilet. Wastewater from the kitchen sink, the shower, the washing machine, and yes, the toilet all go to the same place for processing and cleaning. For the same reason we don’t want food scraps and other insolubles down the sink drain, avoid throwing anything but the three Ps (pee, poo, and toilet paper) into the toilet.

Our Pipes Connect Us All

By giving you this advice, we are being a little selfish because even if improper disposal doesn’t cause a clog within your home, it may still restrict the flow in pipes between your neighborhood and our community wastewater treatment plant. The water you used to push the food scraps down the drain may have been enough to get it across your property line, but once it enters our main sewer lines, it intermingles with whatever your neighbors and your neighbor’s neighbors also discarded.

We’re lucky to have fairly new infrastructure of pipes throughout our community – made of PVC, rather than copper, clay or concrete; this plastic material has an extremely smooth lining so less debris gets caught up on any rough edges, helping
to prevent buildup and clogs…but it’s not foolproof. Over time, food scraps mix with other insolubles like hair and wet wipes, and congeal to form what is known in the wastewater industry as “fatbergs” preventing water from flowing freely throughout the system. We, of course, have measures in place to prevent this, but all of this costs money. Roger Fry, our wastewater operations supervisor, estimates we haul off an average of 500 gallons of solid waste to a permitted disposal facility at each collection period, which costs us about $10,000 each year. Any inflation in our operating costs can impact the wastewater rates of our customers…so help us keep costs low by helping us keep our entire wastewater system running smoothly!

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Your most susceptible pipes will be found:

• in exterior walls (usually bathrooms and kitchen sinks)
• on the exterior of the home
• in unheated areas (attics, crawl spaces, garage)

Consumer Reports recommends a few simple steps you can take to prevent pipes from freezing inside your home:

• Keep garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing, especially if your sinks are on an exterior wall. (If you have small children, be sure to remove any harmful cleaners and household chemicals.)
• Let the cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe—five to ten drops per minute is usually enough—helps prevent pipes from freezing. Do this at several faucets or at least the one furthest from where the water comes into the house so the water is traveling through your entire plumbing system.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature during day and night. During a cold snap is not the time to set back the thermostat at night if at all possible.
• If you plan to be away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
• For the long term, add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in those areas. And to prevent drafts, seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, and at sill plates, where the house rests on its foundation.

For outdoor spaces, we recommend:

• Disconnect hoses from outside faucets and use insulated faucet covers to keep them from freezing.
• Check the cover over your water meter – is it securely in place without damage? If snow is forecasted, flag the location of your meter so you can easily
• Access it if needed in an emergency situation.
• Winterize your irrigation system by insulating backflow preventers and valves if they are above ground. Shut down the controller and drain the lines manually. Many irrigation specialists offer winterization services.

If you need help shutting off your water or suspect a water main break, call LMUD (or your water provider) immediately. We have a 24-hour emergency line with service technicians on call. LMUD Customer Service: (512) 261-6222

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WATER FOR HEALTH