Recently, a sewage spill on private property made local news when neighbors washed sewage from their front lawn, over the sidewalks, and into the street and gutters. Once it learned of the sewage spill, the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District immediately abated the health risk conditions by directing its emergency contractors to contain and control the sewage spill, then clean and disinfect affected areas. The District further reported the incident to County Health and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Although the spill occurred at the time when no regulations required the District to respond to sewer spills on private property, the District has been committed to protect the public from sewage health risks, and has consistently responded to contain and assist in the clean up of sewage spills. Now, new regulations adopted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board will require the District and other sewerage agencies to adopt a written plan for responding to sewage spills from private properties.

Although the District will contain and clean up sewer spills that threaten the public health, it will not do it at the public’s expense. The District will charge the cost of emergency response services to the property owner where the sewage spill occurred, as all property owners have the responsibility to maintain their sewer laterals and prevent spills or overflows that negatively affect the public health.

The most common factors that cause sewage spills on private property are grease build-ups and tree roots in sewer laterals. Both problems can be controlled with proper maintenance. Periodic maintenance and inspection of the sewer laterals is relatively inexpensive and doesn’t take much time when serviced by a professional. A licensed plumber can clean the lateral lines, removing bothersome roots and accumulated grease from the pipes, thus reducing the risk of blockages. Additionally, property owners can protect their lines by properly disposing of grease. Cooking oils and grease should not be washed down the sink, but instead should be collected in a container with a lid and thrown out with the trash.

A sewer blockage can cause a back up into the building, or can spill out into the street. Both types of sewage spills can be costly to contain and clean up, as well as environmentally hazardous. The Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District is dedicated to working with the community to maintain a clean and healthy environment.