Web Site Article Title

Down the Drain?

Have you ever thought= to yourself after flushing old prescriptions down the toilet, or after rinsing= out a used household cleansing bottle in the kitchen sink, that there is probab= ly a safer way of getting rid of these items?&n= bsp; Or what about where the run-off soapy and grimy water goes when you = wash your car in the driveway? Hav= e you ever used hot water from your kitchen sink to rinse off residual food and g= rease from the dinner plates and cooking pots before you load up the dishwasher?<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Well now think about this, all of = these chemicals, pollutants, solid materials, grease agents and drain cloggers all run through our sewer system and eventually to the Wastewater Treatment Pla= nt, usually not before doing damage to our sewer system along the way. And some of these pollutants are so destructive and intrusive that even the advanced technologies we utilize at= the Treatment Plant can’t remove all traces of them. The reason this is so important to= every citizen that lives in Meridian is that the water eventually is discharged b= ack the Boise River, one of Idaho’s most precious resources.

Please take the time = to learn about the following services and ways that we all can use to help keep our community environmentally safe for all.

FREE Household Hazardous Water Collection at SSC=

Household Hazardous W= aste consists of items such as pesticides, cleaning supplies, paint and solvents, used motor oils, antifreeze and old gasoline. Products labeled Danger, Warning, = or Caution all contain hazardous chemicals and should NEVER to be put into the City sewer lines! Meridian residents can drop off any household hazardous waste items free of charge e= very Monday between 12 noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Sanitary Services Company parki= ng lot, located at 2130 W. Fr= anklin Road. <= /span>However, please DO NOT leave any items if SSC personnel isn’t there to assist you. For more info call 888-3= 901.

Other examples of = items that can be dropped off:

Household Cleaners &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Fluorescent Light Tubes/Bulbs

Batteries-household &= amp; auto &nb= sp; &= nbsp; Pool/Spa Chemicals

Television Sets &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; Computer Monitors

Mercury Fever Thermom= eters &= nbsp; &= nbsp;

Lawn & Garden Che= micals &= nbsp; Aerosols<= /span>

Insecticides &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; = Pesticides

Old Paint &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Wood Stains

Paint Thinners &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Solvents

Old Gasoline &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Antif= reeze

Fats, Oils & Grease Disposal

Fats, Oils and Grease= (FOG) are major culprits in clogging up kitchen drains and causing sewer line back-ups. Do not rinse off fo= od scraps and grease from plates, pots and pans using hot water and flush down your kitchen drain. When FOG buildup reaches a point that sewer pipes become clogged, raw sewage can bac= k-up to city streets, parking lots, nearby homes and commercial businesses. Commercial grease is not allowed to be disposed at the = local landfill site. This grease mu= st be transported to a special landfill location. Residential cooking grease is allowed to be disposed at the l= ocal landfill if properly contained in a spill proof container. Here are the proper ways to dispos= e of these items:

· Scrape all = food scraps and grease solids into the garbage.

· Collect exc= ess frying grease in a separate container for proper disposal.

For additional inform= ation, please contact Steve Maneck, Pretreatment Program Manager at (208) 888-2191 or smaneck@meridiancity.org<= o:p>

Storm Water System Care

The storm water syste= m and sewer collection systems are NOT connected. Water from your home drains and to= ilets is collected by the sewer collection system, treated at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and then discharged by the City into the 5 Mile Creek/Boise River. Storm or run-off water is simply channeled through the storm water system and discharged to our local waters= hed with NO treatment for pollutants or dangerous contaminants. Only you can prevent pollutants fr= om entering our water supply. He= re are some ways you can do your part:

· Recycle used motor oils & antifreeze; prevent vehicle leaks from driveways & str= eet storm water drains.

· When washing your vehicle at home, Uuse non-phosphorus soaps or direct the soap suds onto your lawn ins= tead of down your driveway & into the gutters. Or better yet, take your vehicle t= o a commercial car wash, which is connected to the City sewer system.

· Put litter,= grass clippings and pet waste into the trash; never rinse them into the storm dra= ins.

· Use only as= much fertilizer and pesticide as you need, any excess will run off into the storm drains.