HS, Utilities Department
City of Amherst
WASTEWATER COLLECTIONS DEPT
Dustin L. Voros, Wastewater Collections Foreman
Office 440-988-7625
DO NOT FLUSH / DRAIN ADVISORY
COOKING GREASE and OILS, WIPES, AND PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS CLOG SEWER LINES
Various household products are labeled and sold as DISPOSABLE and/or FLUSHABLE. Many baby and adult personal hygiene products along with household wipes and cleaning towelettes are labeled both disposable and flushable. While these products may be marketed as a convenience item in this way, the truth is that these types of wipes have the ability to clog and stop up not only the sewer line on your property, but also can cause blockage and service problems in the public sewer system and lift stations.
Unlike toilet paper, these products DO NOT break down once they are flushed. They can cause blockages in your on-site piping. On a larger scale, when these products make their way into the public sewer system they collect together, causing very large obstructions and clogs in the sanitary sewer mainlines and get tangled in lift stations floats requiring repair or replacement of equipment.
What we all can do to help…
The following items should NEVER be flushed or drained into the sanitary sewer system. Please place these items in the trash.
| Disinfecting/Surface Wipes |
Mop or “Swiffer” type refills |
| Baby wipes |
Paper towels |
| Jewelry wipes |
Pet care wipes |
| Cosmetic wipes |
First Aid wipes |
| Disposable diapers or diaper liners |
Bio-pads (nursing home, home healthcare, etc.) |
| Cotton Swabs |
Feminine hygiene products |
| Toilet cleaning pads |
ANY moist type towelette |
| COOKING GREASE and OILS |
ANY CONSUMER ITEM THAT IS NOT TOILET PAPER |
Mayor's Office, Utilities Department
Paper & Cardboard
Flattened cardboard, newspaper, magazines, office paper and common mail can be recycled as long as they aren’t contaminated by food, liquid or waste. Hardcover books and shredded paper should never be placed in your recycling container. Break down cardboard boxes. Paper can’t be recycled if it’s mixed with other materials. Remove the bubble wrap or plastic windows before recycling padded packaging or security envelopes.
Metal Cans
Before recycling food and drink cans, remove paper or plastic labels and clean out any residual materials. Some metal cans have an insulated coating that might not be recyclable. When in doubt, throw it out! Recyclables don’t need to be thoroughly washed, but they do need to be dry so they don’t contaminate other items.
Plastic
Hard plastic containers like water bottles, milk jugs and detergent containers can go in your container. Flexible plastics like grocery bags, bubble wrap and styrofoam require special handling and can’t be recycled curbside. Lids are too small to recycle by themselves so put them on the containers or throw them away. If you can poke your finger through the plastic, it doesn’t belong in your recycling container.
To learn more about acceptable recyclable materials and processes visit Republic Services’ Recycling: Simple as 1-2-3 at Recycling Simplified. Also visit Republic Services for more information.
Building Department, Treasurer, Utilities Department
Due to increasing costs, the Treasurer’s office has contracted with a third-party processor to continue providing face-to-face credit card transactions. This new service will allow the City to accept credit cards in the Utilities Department, the Building Department as well as the Treasurer’s office.
Beginning September 1, 2016 all face-to-face credit and debit card transactions will be subject to a third-party service fee of 2.45%. (This fee is for credit and debit card transactions only and will not be charged when using other forms of payment in City offices)
