FAQ

You should never pour used cooking grease down your drain. Grease is one of the leading causes of sewer blockages. Grease should be collected in tin cans or glass jars and after it cools, disposed of in your trash.

Disturbances in the system may cause discoloration in the system. Disturbances may be related to water main breaks, hydrant flushings, etc. If you experience prolonged discoloration, please report it to our citizen reporting tool.

Avoid use of hot water while discoloration continues, if you have an outside spigot, run until water is clear or avoid using water if you can.

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Rates are determined annually based on operational and capital needs of the utility system. The system operates at cost, meaning the expected generation of rates is designed to fully cover the cost of those operations and improvements. Utility rates are unique from tax rates and accounted for under a separate fund.

A second meter can help to control utility costs if you are a heavy user of outdoor water such as for irrigation systems. To purchase a second meter contact the Building Department at (734) 429-8296.

Just because the package says flushable, doesn't mean it's true. Many items marketed as disposable and/or flushable do not degrade like toilet paper, and they wind up clocgging pipes, tangling pumps and causing messy sewer backups into streets, businesses and homes.

Our sewers are designed to dispose of very specific things. Using your toilets for disposal of many modern products can result in blockages. The drains that connect your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper and human waste. Sewer pipes are often no wider than 4 inches.

Here's a short list of common items that get flushed, that shouldn't:

• Diapers - cloth, disposable, flushable
• Facial tissues
• Wipes - baby, disinfectant, moist toilettes, etc.
• Toilet bowl scrub pads
• Swiffer pads
• Napkins, paper or cloth, paper towel
• Dental floss
• Egg shells, nut shells and coffee grounds
• Fats, oils and greases
• Food items containing seeds and peelings
• Hair
• Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms or any non-organic material
• Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals
• Wash cloths, towels, rags (any cloth item)
• Clothing
• Sheet plastic or plastic of any kind

This is not a comprehensive list of items you should not flush. As a general rule, only flush water, toilet paper and human waste.

Here are some easy tips to make sure you can keep our pipe system functioning properly.

• Avoid purchasing flushable items, clean with a sponge or a rag that you can reuse
• Compost your food waste or place any waste in the garbage for collection
• For hazardous household waste, you can contact Washtenaw County for disposal at (734) 222-3950
• If it can't be reused, recycled or composted, please place it in the garbage.