Don't rush to flush

Photo: RDCO

Residents of West Kelowna, Peachland and the Westbank First Nation are being urged to think before they flush.

Regional district spokesman Bruce Smith says it costs more than $60,000 a year to remove clogs from sewer pipes.

Information cards urging "Don’t Rush, Think Before You Flush" have been sent out to residents.

Each day, the Westside Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant treats an average of 10 million litres of wastewater. 

Pausing before putting questionable substances down the drain will help protect the plant’s biological treatment process. It can also help prevent costly clogs and backups.

"Think of the treatment plant as the heart, with hundreds of kilometres of sewer pipes acting like the arteries of your body, filled with liquid that should never be flushed or put down drains," says Smith. 

“Food waste like fats, grease and oils (deep fryer oil, vegetable oil, cooking oil) can easily congeal and block pipes. As well, diapers, wet wipes, bandages, personal hygiene products and cotton swabs should be placed into the household garbage. 

"And hazardous waste materials like paints, solvents and other chemicals should be disposed of at the free household hazardous waste drop off at the Battery Doctors in Kelowna.”

Unused or expired medications should also not go down the drain, and should be returned to a pharmacy.

Collected cooking oils and grease are recycled at McLeod’s Byproducts in Armstrong.