Septic Systems
1. BE KIND TO YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM (hint; it’s not a garbage can.)
Your septic system contains a collection of living organisms that digest and treat household waste. Pouring the wrong things down your drain can kill these organisms and make the system less effective.
Untreated wastewater contains bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants. These pollutants can make water in your immediate and downstream areas (wetlands) unsafe for people and wildlife to drink, bathe, or swim.
NEVER FLUSH THESE ITEMS:
- Paper towels and non-flushable wipes, such as baby wipes or other wet wipes
- Dental floss, Hair, Cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat litter
- Feminine hygiene products.
- Never flush prescription drugs down the drain. Return them to pharmacies that have medication disposal kiosks.
KITCHEN SINK, BATHTUB, or UTILITY SINK
- No Bleach, ever. A coffee cup’s worth of bleach can kill all the beneficial microbes in a 1000-gallon septic tank.
- Fats, oils, and grease (what the industry prosaically refers to as FOGs) Household chemicals like gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint or paint thinners.
- Never use drain cleaners.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNITS
While much of America has fallen in love with their kitchen sink garbage disposal units, here on Fire Island we strongly discourage them. While they have been proven effective in a very few, finely controlled, municipal water treatment plants, we do not have the scale, nor advanced facilities, here on Fire Island to make them effective.
Our septic systems are delicate and can not handle this extra material, or wrong items, washed down the drain. Even these devices’ names are deceiving “garbage disposals” — If it’s garbage, it should be put in the garbage, not the drain.
If you have food scraps, composting is an effective alternative, and it’s relatively easy to do. The compost you create can assist with the growth of plants or trees around your property, and by using your compost, you won’t be adding additional artificial fertilizers to your soil which can leach into the groundwater.