Home Maintenance

Homeowners play a major part in making sure their wastewater can effectively reach the Lafayette Wastewater Treatment Plant and receive proper treatment. They do this by making sure harmful materials do not get flushed or poured down their drains, including oils, grease, medicine, rags, disposable wipes, and more. The "Home Maintenance" page should give you an idea of how to properly maintain your drains.

Check out this brochure to learn how to stop blockages in your drains: 
Grease (PDF)

oils fats and grease

The main culprits of expensive plumbing problems that harm municipal sewer systems and the environment are:


Fats, oils, and grease


  • Make sure to put your grease in a can, let it cool and throw it away in the trashcan.

Disposable or "flushable" wipes


  • Even though these wipes are advertised as being "flushable," they have been proven to cause disastrous problems for your home plumbing system and the municipal sewer system. These wipes do not break down and end up causing major blockages and back-ups which are very expensive to fix. Keep a trashcan in your bathroom to throw away wipes and other hygiene products.

Medications


  • Flushing medicine leads to toxic conditions in our rivers, as the municipal wastewater treatment system is only able to remove half of the medicine sent to the treatment plant. This medicine being flushed leads to toxic conditions in the river and may lead to trace amounts of those chemicals ending up in drinking water.
  • There are two proper methods of disposal of medicine, including:
    • If home disposal is absolutely necessary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends putting this old or unused medicine in a plastic bag, adding kitty litter, coffee grounds, detergent or other inedible items into the bag and throwing it away.
    • Alternatively, you may visit your local unused medicine drop-off location or prescription take-back event to safely dispose of your medicine.
      • The local unused medicine drop-off location in Tippecanoe County is located at the:
West Lafayette Police Department
711 W Navajo Street
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Phone: 765-755-5200 (Call if you have any questions)
**Drop-off time is the second Tuesday of every month from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Visit Protect Your Pipes to learn more.

The following 10-minute video explains the do's and don'ts of stormwater pollution, to reduce environmental degradation and improve water quality of your local waterways. It will teach how you can do your part in your home, in your yard, and when you're out and about.