When it comes to maintaining public and environmental health, one of the most important elements of a community’s infrastructure is the wastewater collection system. This is how used water from our homes and businesses reaches Yarmouth’s wastewater treatment plant.
The wastewater collection system has a lot of different components in order to make this happen, including gravity sewers, pumping stations, force mains and manholes. At the Yarmouth Wastewater Treatment Plant, our town's wastewater is treated to meet minimum regulated quality requirements before it's released to the harbour.
Keeping this in mind, it's really important to know that our system is designed to convey and treat regular domestic wastewater. If materials that aren't regular wastewater components manage to reach these systems, it can damage both our equipment and the environment!
What Can You Do?
Materials which reach the wastewater collection system can include things as simple as grease and fat from your kitchen. These can contribute to blockages in the collection system, which is why food or garden-related organic materials should be placed in your green cart.
You should never put these into the town sewer system:
- Diapers
- Rags
- Plastic materials (e.g. sanitary napkins, condoms)
- Bandages
- Cigarette butts
- Razor blades
- Hazardous chemicals (e.g. muriatic acid, insecticides, herbicides, etc.)
- Unused prescription drugs
- Petroleum products (e.g. fuel oil, gasoline, waste oil, etc.)
- Paints, paint remover, etc.
Note that all costs associated with the installation, connection, maintenance or repair of a private sewer or building sewer connection to the municipal sewer system, are the sole responsibility of the owner. When we work together to ensure that waste is separated properly, then everyone benefits.
Semi-Annual Water Main Flushing
Twice every year, the Yarmouth Water Utility flushes its water mains over the course of a few weeks. This includes mains in South Ohio, North Ohio Crossroad, Hebron Industrial Park, Sprucehills Subdivision, Dayton-Hebron, the Town of Yarmouth, and the Acadia Band Reserve. During the flush program, some discoloration and fluctuation in water pressure may occur.