WCI services a great variety of sewage treatment plants and one of the most frequently asked questions is ‘What can enter my system?’. My simple but rather rude answer is always ‘if you stick to the three Ps, PEE, PAPER AND POO, you can’t go wrong’. Please refer to the official Dos and Don’ts from the WCI Service Team.
Do …
- Take out an annual service contract with WCI to ensure your sewage treatment system is working within manufacturers guidelines and is compliant to all current regulations.
- Think before you put anything down the sink, toilet or drains. Stick to the 3Ps – Pee, Paper and Poo!
- Use regular shop bought cleaning products, you do not have to use ‘Ecover’ or similar specialist brands. But please use cleaning products little and often, so the sewage treatment plant isn’t overloaded.
- Try to spread your clothes washing throughout the week.
- Try to stick to the same washing, dishwasher and other cleaning products – the bacteria will work more efficiently with familiar products. Use liquids, not powders in washing machines and dishwashers where possible.
- Use the manufacturers’ recommended doses of household cleaning products, relevant to the hardness of your local water.
Don’t …
- Don’t put sanitary towels, tampons, disposable nappies, floss, baby wipes, cosmetic wipes, wet toilet wipes or toilet cleaning wipes, hair, cotton wool, incontinence pads, cotton buds, rubber products or other nonbiodegradable products down the toilet. Some wipes state they are biodegradable – they are not!
- Don’t pour fat, grease or cooking oil down the sink or drains. Please wipe out greasy cooking pans with kitchen roll and bin it. Larger amounts of oil can be recycled at your local recycling centre.
- Don’t have a “washing day” – try to spread your washing throughout the week.
- Don’t tip bottles of medicine, mouth wash etc. down the toilet because these can harm the bacteria inside the sewage plant. These can be returned to your doctor or, where appropriate, binned.
- Don’t keep changing your brand of cleaners and washing powders.
- Don’t dispose of dog faeces (at any point) into your private sewage treatment plant. It should be bagged and binned.
- Don’t pour any garden chemicals, paint or car engine oil down the drains. These can be taken to your local recycling centre
There will also be anomalies to the listed Dos and Don’ts above. Loved ones undertaking harsh chemotherapy can alter the chemistry of the wastewater and have a detrimental effect on the treatment process. Similarly, incorrectly installed systems where the rainwater enters the sewage treatment plant can carry settled sludges out of the tank and cause treatment issues.
If you have any questions about the functionality of your sewage treatment plant or wish to have your system serviced, please contact the office on 01984 623404.