Antifreeze: Can antifreeze be poured down the drain?

"Flushable" Products: Should they go down the drain?

Grease: How should I dispose of fats, oils, and grease?

Hazardous Waste: How do I get rid of hazardous wastes?

Mercury Thermometers (Broken & Unbroken)-What should I do with it?

Motor Oil: Where can I recycle motor oil? How can I get curbside oil recycling service?

Paint: What do I do with unwanted paint? What is the best way to clean paint brushes, rollers, pans?

Pesticides: Is it OK to dump old weed killers and pesticides down the drain?

Pharmaceutical Waste: How can I dispose of unwanted medications?

Pools and Spas: Where or how can I dispose of pool water? What about the proper use of algaecides?

Toilet Retrofit Program: What is the program about? How do I get a rebate?

Tours: How do I get a tour of the Napa Sanitation District Soscol Water Recycling Facility?

Washer Rebate: What is the program? How to participate in the washer rebate program?

Water Pollution: How does water get polluted?

Water Pollution: How does Napa Sanitation District prevent water pollution?

Water Use: How can I reduce water use around my home?

Antifreeze: Can antifreeze be poured down the drain?
Antifreeze drained from radiators should NEVER be discharged into the sanitary sewer or the storm drain system (gutters, storm drains, or creeks). Antifreeze fluid contains poisonous glycols as well as metals from the vehicle. The fluid drained from the radiator should be captured for recycling, or disposed of by a certified waste hauler. Subsequent flushing of the radiator with fresh water must be collected and recycled/reused as well. Fluid from a radiator that has been in a boil-out or a test tank also should not be discharged into the sanitary sewer system.

Residents should collect and bring the antifreeze to the Napa-Vallejo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility located at 889A Devlin Road, American Canyon. Check out the Napa County Recycling Guide online or in the Yellow Pages for more information.
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“Flushable” products: Should they go down the drain?
Flush ONLY toilet paper in the toilet! Dispose of other items in your regular trash. This includes baby wipes, hair, bandages, make-up pads, kitty litter, sanitary products, etc. Even products that are labeled “flushable” should not go down the drain—they can clog your pipes and sewage pump stations, damaging equipment and causing overflows. Remember, the toilet is NOT a trash can!

Just because it’s a liquid doesn’t mean it should go down the drain. Household products like paint, solvents and pesticides can wreak havoc with processes at the wastewater treatment plant. To safely dispose of these products, take them to the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. Check out the Napa County Recycling Guide online or in the Yellow Pages for more information.
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Grease: How should I dispose of fats, oils, and grease?
Never pour oil or dispose of fats and grease (FOG) down the drain. Even when washed down with soap and hot water, when the water cools the FOG solidifies in your pipes. This causes clogged sewer line, resulting in sewer spills and overflows. The spilled sewage reaches our creeks, the Napa River, and eventually the Bay.

Luckily, there are some simple tricks for dealing with FOG. These easy steps can protect your sewer pipes and home, while keeping sewage overflows from harming local waterways.

• Never pour fats, oil or grease down the drain.
• Don’t put fatty food scraps down the garbage disposal.
• Collect fats and grease in a can and dispose of in the garbage.
• Take used cooking oil (fat & grease can go too) to the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility or Devlin Road Reuse & Recycle Center. This service is FREE.
• Dry wipe pots and pans containing grease with paper towels before washing.
• Scrape food scraps into the garbage.

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Hazardous Waste: How do I get rid of hazardous wastes?
Do not dispose any hazardous wastes in the sewer (sinks, toilets, drains), storm drain (street gutter), garbage receptacle, yard waste receptacle, or in the solid waste recycling receptacle. Take hazardous wastes to the Napa-Vallejo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility for proper disposal/recycling.

Examples of hazardous household wastes include (see the Hazardous Waste website for a complete list):
Automotive fluids (oil, gas, antifreeze, etc.)
Cooking oil
Medications
Mercury containing items (thermometers, thermostats, etc.)
Paints products – latex & oil-based, thinners
Pesticides
Pool chemicals

According to California law, it is legal to transport up to 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of hazardous waste without having a special license. After you carefully pack your car, go directly to the disposal facility. Drive carefully.

Deliver your household hazardous wastes to the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility located at 889A Devlin Road, American Canyon. The facility is open every Friday and Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). For more information, visit the Napa Recycling & Waste Services website.
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Mercury Thermometers (broken or unbroken): What should I do with it?
Mercury is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. People are most commonly exposed to mercury by way of broken fever thermometers. A typical old-fashioned thermometer contains about a half gram of mercury. That half gram is sufficient to spoil the water in 200 Olympic-sized pools, or 5 million gallons!

Oral thermometers are often used and stored in the bathroom, and when they break, the mercury is frequently washed down the drain. Because mercury can contaminate the air, soil and water when they are crushed in landfills, old-fashioned thermometers should not be thrown in the trash as well. To reduce the risk of hazardous waste contamination, the Napa Sanitation District will replace your old thermometer with a new digital one that doesn’t contain mercury. Residents are encouraged to drop off mercury-containing thermometers at the Napa-Vallejo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility located at 889A Devlin Road, American Canyon, CA.

Digital thermometers can be picked up from the Napa Sanitation District located at 935 Hartle Court, Napa, CA 94558. For more information, contact the Pollution Prevention & Source Control Department at (707) 258-6000 at extension 502.
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Pharmaceutical Waste: How to dispose of unwanted medications?
Expired or unwanted prescription or over-the-counter medications from households have traditionally been disposed of by flushing them down the toilet or a drain. Although this method of disposal prevents immediate accidental ingestion, it can cause pollution in wastewater. Even the most advanced wastewater treatment facilities can’t remove pharmaceuticals from water. This can harm fish and other aquatic wildlife and when the water is eventually reused, it can also cause unintentional human exposure to chemicals in medications.

What’s the Solution? Take your unwanted medications to Clinic Ole or the Hazardous Water Collection Facility. Both of these collection services are FREE for households. Follow the guidelines below to safely dispose of your medications at these facilities and click on the following links to find drop-off locations and hours.

Clinic Ole Medication Collection Program

Hazardous Waste Collection Facility

General Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unused Medications:

• Remove medications from bottle or container (except liquids).
• Place medications into a zip lock or sealable bag.
• Remove or cross out personal information from medication bottle or container.
• Place zip lock bag with medication into secure medicine drop box at one of the three Clinic Ole locations, or drop off at the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
• Place medication bottles or containers into recycling.

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Pools and Spas: Where or how can I dispose of pool water? What about the use of copper algaecides?
The preferred method for discharging pool, spa, or fountain water is onto a land surface, provided the water is dechlorinated/debrominated, the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5, AND the land area is sufficient to prevent runoff into a ditch, creek, or other storm water conveyance.

If landscaping is not a viable option, the next best choice is to discharge pool, spa, or fountain water to the sanitary sewer system. Contact the Napa Sanitation District at 258-6000 to make sure the discharge will not create a problem in the sewer system or wastewater treatment plant downstream of your property.

All local jurisdictions in Napa County have adopted ordinances that allow swimming pool, spa, and fountain water to be discharged to storm drains, but only after specific conditions are met. Check out the Napa County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program website for specific guidelines for storm drain disposal of pool water.

The copper commonly found in algaecides for use in pools, spas and fountains is also toxic to aquatic life, even in small concentrations. Instead of using an algaecide, control algae with proper chlorine levels and regular cleaning. Managing the pH and water hardness to minimize the corrosion of copper pipes helps too.
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Toilet Retrofit Program: What is the program about? How do I get a rebate?
Toilet flushes and leaks can eat up nearly 40% of your indoor water budget. If your home or business contains toilets purchased before 1992, you may be using anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons with each flush.

Today's High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs) do the job using just 1.28 gallons or less. So replace your water-wasting toilet with an HET, and receive a $100 rebate from the Napa Sanitation District. You’ll save water & money!

To qualify, you must be connected to the Napa Sanitation District System, replace a toilet that uses 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush with a 1.28 gallon or less toilet, be authorized to proceed. Please contact the District prior to retrofitting your toilet and request a copy of the replacement guidelines or click here to download a copy. (link to toilet rebate guidelines already on website)

The City of Napa has an alternate program as well – check out their Water Conservation Program website for more details. Please note: you can only participate in one of the toilet rebate programs.
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Tours: How can I get a tour of the Napa Sanitation District Soscol Water Recycling Facility?
Tours of the Napa Sanitation District’s Soscol Water Recycling Facility are offered for school groups (grades 2 – 12), organizations, businesses, or any group with an interest in wastewater treatment and water recycling. Our tours support California curriculum standards and can be tailored to suit specific age groups and interests. You’ll get an inside look at an essential community service and have fun at the same time!

To organize a tour, you must complete and submit a Public Tour Request Form at least two weeks prior to the requested tour date. A popular tour option for local schools is a three-part joint-agency tour that covers drinking water and wastewater treatment, as well as materials recycling. In addition to the Napa Sanitation District Soscol Water Recycling Facility, this tour also visits the City of Napa’s Jamieson Canyon Water Treatment Plant and Napa Recycling and Waste Service’s Recycling Facility. A separate tour of the Napa Sanitation District Water Recycling Facility is also available. To organize this three-part tour, please contact one of these agencies:
Napa Sanitation District (707) 258-6000 ext 502
City of Napa Water (707) 247-9309
City of Napa Water Recycling (707) 257-9520
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Water Pollution: How Does Water Get Polluted?
Stormwater runs off streets and driveways, picking up trash, fertilizers, pesticides and oil. This storm water goes into drains and flows to creeks, the Napa River and ultimately the Bay without any treatment. Wastewater from your house goes down toilets, sinks, and shower drains and makes its way through an extensive collection and treatment process. While the treatment plant effectively removes organic material, it is not designed to remove chemicals and metals. So, when toxic chemicals get dumped or rinsed down household drains, they pass through the system untreated and end the Napa River and the Bay, where they may threaten sensitive aquatic life.

Water Pollution: How does Napa Sanitation District prevent water pollution?
Before the Napa Sanitation District was formed in 1945, sewage flowed into the Napa River along with rainwater, untreated! The District now operates a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment and water recycling facility that meets the highest state water quality requirements. The treatment plant can remove solids and many dissolved pollutants, such as nutrients, bacteria and pathogens. But even the most sophisticated treatment plant can’t remove all pollutants. That’s where “source control” comes in as an important tool in preventing water pollution.

Controlling toxics at their source is the most effective way of keeping pollutants out of the local water environment. Since our treatment plant is not designed to remove chemicals and metals, the goal of our Pollution Prevention and Source Control Program is to monitor the wastewater discharged at various points of our collection (underground pipeline) system and ensure that businesses and industries are complying with discharge requirements. Our Source Control Program began in the mid 1970's in response to the Clean Water Act and continues to improve strategies to reduce pollutants discharged to the sanitary sewer.

Households can also contribute pollutants to the sewer system. Since there are over 25,000 households in Napa, monitoring and enforcement would be very difficult, if not impossible. NSD prefers to take a different approach, with Public Education and Outreach. NSD believes that the more people understand the hazards of toxic discharges to the sewer, the less likely they are to pollute. NSD has developed educational programs for students, the general public, and businesses with the goal of informing them about how to reduce or even eliminate toxic discharges. Start here with Ten Ways You Can Protect Your Sewer System.
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Water Use: How can I reduce water use around my home?
Water conservation, or efficient water use, saves money, protects a vital resource and reduces flows to the wastewater treatment plant. To reduce your water use, follow the tips below, check out the rebate opportunities described above, and visit the City of Napa’s Water Conservation Program website.

• Replace old high-water-use toilets (3.5 gallons per flush or more) with high-efficiency toilets (1.28 gallons or less per flush) - see rebate information above.
• Use a high-efficiency front-loading clothes washer – see rebate information above.
• Install low-flow showerheads (2.5 gallons per minute or less). Install low-flow showerheads (2.5 gallons per minute or less).
• Limit shower time.
• Install water-saving faucet aerators.
• Turn off faucets while shaving and brushing teeth.
• Run clothes washers and dishwashers only when full, or adjust cycle settings to match loads.
• Fix leaking or dripping faucets and running toilets.
• Turn off your irrigation system timer after the rainy season begins.
• Replace an unused lawn with low-water using plants.

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