Don't Pour Grease Down Your Drain!

70% of the overflows and blockages in the Norfolk sanitary sewer system are caused by grease build-up.

If washed down the drain, fat, oil and grease cool  and stick to the inside of pipes.  Over time, this grease builds up, blocks the pipes and clogs your plumbing.  When it is cleared out of the plumbing, the fat moves into the sanitary sewer system, causing even more blockages and backups.

  Use A Fat Can!

Pour cooled grease and food scraps into a can and put it in the trash.  Garbage disposals do not stop grease from entering the plumbing or sanitary sewers.  Controlling grease at its source goes a long way toward eliminating blockages and backups that result from grease build-up.

  Other Things You Can Do To Help... 

• Use a basket or strainer in sinks to catch food scraps and other solids.  All food scraps, even those processed through a garbage disposal, have the potential to cause blockages in plumbing and sewer lines. 
   
• Spread the message to your friends and neighbors about keeping grease out of their plumbing and out of sewers. 
   
• Watch your sinks and toilets for proper draining and flushing. 
   
• Routinely clean and service restaurant grease traps and interceptors. 

  Not For Drains Or Toilets!

These items can cause blockages or otherwise damage the sewer system.  Please avoid putting them down your drains and toilets:

Baby wipes	Hair	Sanitary napkins
Wax	Tampons/applicators	Paper towels
Disposable diapers
Antifreeze	Insecticides	Pesticides
Cleaners/solvents	Fertilizers	Paint/thinners
Fuels	Herbicides	Hobby supplies
Pool chemicals	Household batteries	Used motor oil

Above substances marked with  should be deposited at the nearest SPSA (Southeastern Public Service Authority) collection facility.  For facility locations, operating hours, and guidelines, visit SPSA's web site or call their 24-hour information line (757) 424-4297.

  Must-Know Info For Businesses!

Restaurants, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings may have traps or interceptors to keep grease out of the sewer system.  These devices remove fats, oils, grease and solids from the building's wastewater lines, preventing them from entering the municipal sewer collection system or the private on-site wastewater treatment facility.  The trap catches and holds the waste until a waste hauler or pumper service can dispose of it.

Traps and interceptors must be:

• Designed to handle the amount of grease expected,
• Installed properly, and
• Maintained frequently.

  Why Install a Grease Trap?

• Protect your plumbing,
• Reduce environmental damage, and
• Minimize sanitary sewer operating costs for less impact on the customer's bill.

  And In Case You Do Have A Sewer Backup, Call Us First!  

OUR 24-HOUR EMERGENCY NUMBER

Water or Sewer Main Breaks (757) 823-1000

We are here to serve you!

EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

Water or Sewer Main Breaks (757) 823-1000

Water Turn On/Turn Off (757) 664-6700

Miss Utility (Call Before You Dig)

1-800-552-7001