City of Casper Wastewater Collection Division

PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY

The owner of the property is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the sewer line from the building or home to the city's main, including the connection to the sewer main. Locating the building (or home) sewer is also the responsibility of the property owner. The building and code enforcement division for the city of Casper (235-8254) may have records showing the location of some of these building sewers through filed plumbing permits. Several plumbers also have special locating equipment which can be used.

If there is a sewer problem in your line, it is best to contact the plumber or sewer contractor of your choice. If you feel that the problem could be in the city's main, please call the numbers on the right.   

WAYS TO PREVENT BACKUPS IN YOUR LINE AND IN THE MAIN

You can do many things to prevent your sewer line  and the sewer main from backing up. By following the guidelines below, our sewer system will be more efficient, have fewer backups, cost both you and the city less money.  Most importantly, you will prevent the hassle and misery of dealing with a sewer backup in your home or your neighbor's home.

 

Grease:

Cooking oil should be poured into a heat-resistant container and disposed of, after it cools off, in the garbage can, not the drain. Some people assume that washing grease down the drain with hot water is satisfactory. This grease goes down the drain, cools off, and solidifies either in the drain, the property owner's line, or in the main sewer. When this happens, the line constricts and eventually clogs.

Paper Products:

Paper towels, disposable (and cloth) diapers, and feminine products cause a great deal of problem in the property owner's line as well as in the main. These products do not deteriorate quickly, as does bathroom tissue. They become lodged in portions of the lines where there is an accumulation of any type of debris, and dam up the line, causing a sewer backup. These products should also be disposed of in the garbage can.

Roots:

Shrubs and trees, seeking moisture, will make their way into sewer line cracks. These roots can do a lot of damage. They may start out small, getting into a small crack in the pipe. As the tree or shrub continues to grow, so does the root.  After time goes on, roots cause your sewer line to break, which in turn allows debris to hang up in the line, thus causing a backup. One way to prevent roots from entering your line is to replace your line and tap with new plastic pipe. The other alternative is to be careful about planting greenery around your sewer line, or purchasing a product from your local plumber containing "copper sulfate," which helps to kill roots when you pour it down your drain. These products should be used with extreme caution, and the directions need to be followed carefully. We suggest that you have the roots cut in your line semi-annually.

Sewer Odors:

Another concern that property owners have is that they can smell sewer odors inside their house or building. There are two ways to prevent this from occurring. Under each drain in your plumbing system, there is a "P-trap." If there is water in this fitting, odors or H2S gas from the sewer cannot come through the drain from either the property owner's line or the city's main. Periodically check to make sure that unused floor drains, sinks etc. have water in the "P-trap." Another way to prevent sewer odor is to ensure that the vents, which are located on your roof, are free from bird nests, leaves, etc. When these vents are clear, the sewer odors will escape through these vents.

Needles:

It has come to our attention that some people dispose of hypodermic needles into the sewer system. The presence of these needles in the wastewater collection system presents special and possible deadly problems for the wastewater collection and wastewater treatment employees. Please DO NOT flush needles. The proper method of disposal is to re-cap the needle and put it into a "sharps container." (This could be any rigid plastic container such as a Clorox bottle….no milk bottles, please.) When it is full, tape the container securely, and call your local pharmacy for advice on proper disposal methods. PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH THEM OR THROW THEM INTO THE GARBAGE!