The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is a sewer utility providing sewage collection service to more than one million people in the Sacramento region, including the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County; the cities of Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, and Elk Grove; as well as portions of the cities of Folsom and Sacramento. SacSewer serves residents and businesses throughout the region.

SacSewer owns and operates 4,600 miles of sewer pipes. That’s equivalent to the mileage it would take to drive from Sacramento to Chicago and back! SacSewer is responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of these sewer pipes, as well as more than 100 pump stations that ensure the proper flow from homes and businesses.

SacSewer provides a critical public service, one that people don’t often think about but would have a hard time living without. SacSewer is the largest sewage collection utility in the Sacramento region and the second largest in California. SacSewer staff works around the clock, every day of the year, to make sure their customers don’t have to worry about their sewer service.

Resources: www.sacsewer.com and www.sacsewer.com/all-about-sasd

SacSewer is interested in developing public awareness in any one of the following four topic areas.

 

Topic/Key Message: Sewer Problems? Call SacSewer First!

Focus: At SacSewer, we like it when our customers don’t have to think twice about the public sewer system. We’re the region’s largest sewage collection utility, and our job is to get to your sewer problem before it interrupts your life. For us, providing excellent service isn’t optional—it’s our number one priority.

When SacSewer’s customers have a sewer problem (e.g., backup, overflow, slow drain, etc.), they should call us first—day or night—at (916) 875-6730. Our crews respond to sewer problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year—including weekends and holidays. Our crews will determine if the problem is our responsibility or the customer’s to fix (learn more at SacSewer vs. customer responsibility). If it is SacSewer’s responsibility, we will correct the problem. If it is not, we will advise the customer on what to do next (e.g., call a plumber). Even if the problem is in the customer’s portion of the line, our service calls carry no additional cost to the customer. They are covered by the monthly sewer rates customers pay.

Commonly used tagline: It’s a dirty job, but we’re happy to do it!

This Sacramento Area Sewer District PSA should end with the SacSewer logo and the closing line: “Learn more at sacsewer.com.”

Resource: www.sacsewer.com/report-sewer-problem

 

Topic/Key Message: No Wipes in the Pipes

Focus: Wipes, rags, paper towels, and other inappropriate materials are being flushed into the sewer system, causing serious problems for SacSewer’s equipment and maintenance crews. People should flush only toilet paper and human waste—nothing else.

Why are wipes such a big problem? Disposable disinfectant wipes, baby wipes, and even wipes labeled as “flushable” are causing problems for sewer systems around the world. These products do not break down easily (or at all) once they are flushed. They often clog our pipes and jam our pumps, causing costly and messy sewer blockages and overflows. In areas where wipes and other materials are flushed regularly, increased monitoring, maintenance, and repair is often necessary. This results in higher operational costs, which are paid for by customers’ sewer rates. Bottom line: People who use wipes should put them in the trash, not in the toilet.

Commonly used tagline: Do the sewers a favor—trash the wipes, not the pipes!

This Sacramento Area Sewer District PSA should end with the SacSewer logo and the closing line: “Learn more at sacsewer.com.”

Resource: www.sacsewer.com/no-wipes-pipes

 

Topic/Key Message: Stop the Clog

Focus: Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) that find their way down the drain create a huge problem for sewer pipes. In fact, FOG combined with roots in the sewer system can create massive clogs that cause more than half of SacSewer’s sewer backups and overflows! This can result in costly cleanup and repairs, as well as harmful environmental impacts.

The Stop the Clog program engages residential customers, property managers, and the food service industry to promote proper disposal of FOG.

What is the source of the problem? The majority of sewer backups and overflows caused by FOG originate in residential areas. Some common sources of FOG include the following:

• Meat
• Fatty food scraps
• Lard
• Salad dressings
• Creamy or oily sauces
• Marinades
• Milk and other dairy products
• Shortening
• Butter or margarine
• Peanut butter

You can help prevent clogs by learning about proper disposal. Keep your pipes flowing by following three simple steps in the kitchen:

• Can it: Once cooled, pour leftover oils and grease into a sturdy container.
• Scrape it: Before washing, scrape out fats, oils and grease from pots and pans.
• Trash it: Put fatty and greasy food scraps in the garbage, not down the drain.

Resources: www.stoptheclog.com and www.sacsewer.com/pod/clog-loves-your-home-cooking

This Sacramento Area Sewer District PSA should end with the SacSewer logo and the closing line: “Learn more at sacsewer.com.”

Topic/Key Message: Cockroaches

Focus: Sometimes warmer weather means an influx of pests in and around the sewer system. So, what exactly is going on? Pests, like cockroaches, are natural to most environments and like dark, damp spaces, such as storm drains and sewer pipes. In drier conditions—like Sacramento summers—these pests seek water sources and shelter.

To help combat these pesky pests, here’s what you can do at home:

• Eliminate potential food, water, and shelter sources that attract pests
• Seal cracks and crevices around your home
• Remove trash daily from home and keep lids closed on outdoor cans

Knowing who to call when you see these critters in and around your community is an important step.

• In or around your property: Call a pest control company
• In or around storm drains: Call your local stormwater utility
• In or around a manholes: Call SacSewer at (916) 875-6730. If our investigation confirms cockroach activity in our pipes, pest control treatment will be scheduled.

Resources: www.sacsewer.com/cockroach

This Sacramento Area Sewer District PSA should end with the SacSewer logo and the closing line: “Learn more at sacsewer.com.”

 

CLIENT: Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) owns the larger underground wastewater pipes and the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant located near Elk Grove, California. Regional San serves residents and businesses throughout unincorporated Sacramento County; the cities of Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Sacramento, and West Sacramento; and the communities of Courtland and Walnut Grove. In total, Regional San serves a population of about 1.6 million people throughout the Sacramento region.

Wastewater is collected from customers’ homes and businesses via smaller collection pipes. These smaller pipes are operated by one of four local sewer agencies and connect to Regional San’s network of larger interceptor pipes, which carry the wastewater to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. There, approximately 130 million gallons of wastewater is treated each day.

Topic/Key Message: Don’t Flush Your Meds!

To prevent misuse and keep medications from entering our waterways, please dispose of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications responsibly. Flushing unused or expired medications down the sink or toilet can pollute the environment.

Proper disposal is easy!

• Check for local disposal locations near you.
• Check for local take-back events.
• Check with your local pharmacy.
• Check with a nearby household hazardous waste facility.

Learn more about these options at dontflushyourmeds.com.

Resource: dontflushyourmeds.com

This Regional San PSA should end with the Regional San logo and the closing line: “Learn more at regionalsan.com.”

Topic/Key Message: Give Your House a Mercury Makeover!

By preventing mercury contamination, you can help keep your family and the environment safe! Mercury can be found in many common household products, such as fluorescent bulbs, silver thermometers, and older wall thermostats. If mishandled, these items can break, spilling mercury and releasing an invisible poisonous vapor that is harmful to human health.

Take a few minutes to learn how you can make your home mercury free!

• Keep fluorescent bulbs and other products that contain mercury out of the household trash, where they can break and release harmful mercury.
• Bring fluorescent light bulbs, old thermostats, silver thermometers, and other mercury-containing products to a certified disposal facility or recycling program.
• Many retailers will now accept used compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for recycling, so ask your local home improvement center.
• Replace old silver fever thermometers that contain mercury with safe digital thermometers. If you have one that contains mercury, recycle it properly.
• Consider replacing your old mercury-containing thermostat with a programmable electronic thermostat, which does not contain mercury and is more energy efficient.

Learn how you can “Be Mercury Free” at regionalsan.com/bemercuryfree

Resource: regionalsan.com/post/household-tips

This Regional San PSA should end with the Regional San logo and the closing line: “Learn more at regionalsan.com.”

 

Topic/Key Message: Got Leftover Pesticides?

Are you storing leftover pesticides? Clean out leftover pesticides and other chemicals by safely disposing of them through your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility. Proper disposal of these chemicals is easy and will help protect our waterways and the environment.

To find a household hazardous waste facility near you, visit regionalsan.com/pesticides.

Resource: regionalsan.com/pesticides.

This Regional San PSA should end with the Regional San logo and the closing line: “Learn more at regionalsan.com.”