We need the help of all residents in caring for our aging sewer system, which was built during the 1940’s and has handled newly added bathrooms and garbage disposals since condo conversion in the 1970’s. In 2009, Fairlington Glen completed a major project to replace or reline its sewer laterals. Nonetheless, they still need to be treated with care, as the original lines are terra cotta.
Units in each building share a single sewer lateral to the County sewer line. It is important to remember that everything water borne in a building, whether from sink, bathtub, washing machines, or toilets, exits the building through this single lateral. That means that we all need to be careful what we put down our garbage disposals and in our toilets. If something gets clogged up before it can get to the main lateral, the unit in each building with the low basement (sometimes referred to as a “high ceiling”) is most likely to experience the backup overflow. If waste continues to enter the system, it can sometimes cause an overflow in other units.
The rule of thumb in Fairlington is “less is more” when using a garbage disposal. Please use your disposal only for bits of food left when working at the sink. Our plumbing systems were not originally designed for garbage disposals, and were retrofitted in the 1970’s onto a system built during WWII. In particular, please do not put celery, onions, pulpy fruits, grease, pasta, rice, coffee grounds, corn husks, potato peels, shrimp shells, bones, caulk, paint or anything substantial down the garbage disposal. Flush the disposal with cold water even after turning it off to assure that waste gets through the system.
The rule on toilets is that only human waste and toilet tissue should go into the toilet. Please do not put tampons, sanitary napkins, condoms, large wads of toilet paper, disposable diapers, adult & baby wipes, napkins, tissues, paper towels, newspaper, dental floss or pet waste and litter into the toilet.
Keep FOG – fats, oils, and grease – out of the pipes.
Please be sure your guests, babysitters, and contractors are aware of this important information. And don’t be afraid to tell new neighbors about this practice.
One of the great things about Fairlington Glen is that we have trash pickup six days a week, and on holidays except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Please be a good neighbor and put the waste noted above in bold letters into your daily trash rather than in our fragile sewer system.