Wastewater Division
Sewer Problems
The Wastewater Maintenance Division has the primary responsibility for the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the city's 34 sanitary sewer lift stations. The division ensures that the sewage flows continuously and without overflows.
If you are experiencing sewer problems, please call the city before you call a plumber. There is always a chance that the problem may be at the sewer main, and if that is the case, the city can take care of that problem for you by cleaning out the main trunk line. That will possibly prevent you from having to pay a plumber, so always check with us first. You can reach us at 281-478-7270, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours and on weekends, contact the Police Department at 281-479-1511.
REPORT SEWER PROBLEMS AT OUR REPORT A CONCERN PAGE.
Grease
Grease is singled out for special attention because of its poor solubility in water and its tendency to separate from the liquid solution.
Large amounts of oil and grease in wastewater can cause problems in collection system pipes. Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes, both on your property and in the streets. This decreases pipe capacity and, therefore, requires that piping systems be cleaned more often and/or replaced sooner than otherwise expected. Oil and grease also hamper effective treatment at the wastewater treatment plant.
Any type of grease, whether from businesses or residences, can cause serious problems that may result in raw sewage backups and overflows in your homes or in the street. Sewer overflows pollute our rivers and streams, increase our risk to coming in contact with disease-causing organisms, and increase the costs of operation and maintenance of sewer lines and wastewater treatment.
Prevent Clogged Drains & Sewer Overflows
Disposal of fats, oils, and greases (F.O.G.) down your household fixtures can cause health hazards, create an unwelcome clogged sink or toilet, and cost you and your city a lot of extra money. (Learn more about preventing clogged pipes with this graphic)
Blockages accounts for almost half, at 43%, of all sanitary sewer overflows. You should avoid sending any foreign material down your sewer pipes. Paper products, wood, metal, and even toys are flushed down the toilet all too often. Worse than any of these is F.O.G., which solidifies in the lines of the collection system and forms large chunks that get stuck or builds on the walls of the pipes, narrowing the lines headed to the treatment plant. A blockage of the collection system could cause the sewer to overflow, also known as sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), and spill into ditches and thusly to our ship channel and bay. It could also cause the sewer system to backup into your yard or even your home. Untreated wastewater can be a costly cleanup and can cause serious health issues for you and the surrounding community. Another outcome is a fish kill in our waterways. Nobody wants to see wastewater bubbling out from manhole covers and traveling down our storm sewer, and you certainly don't want it backing up in your yard or home.
Instead of pouring your cooking oils and greases down the sink drain, capture them in a container with a tight sealing lid. Your used grease, once it solidifies, can be placed in your trash bag. Liquid oil and greases can be placed in a screw tight container, such as an old milk carton, and placed at the street curb with your normal household trash. The City of Deer Park has been collecting used motor oil and will collect your cooking oil also. For citizens who compost, used cooking oil is biodegradable and can be added to your compost piles.
Running hot water and slowly pouring the F.O.G. down the drain does the system no good either. If the fats, oils, and greases make it past your lines to the main, which is not likely due to cooling too fast, that blockage will be building downstream from your connection.
Please use careful consideration when discarding F.O.G. Your participation can save money and improve the chances of never having a backup in your home.