Northport Village (Bayside) operates a small waste water treatment system that serves just several hundred homes. It’s important that we, as a community, do our part to reduce strain on the system in order to keep it in good functioning order, and to protect Maine’s environment. The Village wastewater treatment system was designed to deal with sewage and wastewater from toilets, showers and tubs — nothing else!
Here are some simple helpful reminders:
- Only Flush Toilet Paper: Only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. Everything else — including cleaning wipes, baby wipes, facial tissue, paper towels, and feminine hygiene products (even if they are labeled flushable) — should be tossed in the garbage.
- Avoid Using the Garbage Disposal: Use of garbage disposals adds organic matter that increases strain on the system — they should not be used to dispose of food waste. Garbage should always be thrown out or composted, not washed down the drain. Place a strainer in the sink drain to catch small food scraps, then empty into the trash.
- Don’t Wash Oils, Grease, Dairy Products, Grains, or Coffee Grounds Down the Drain: Fatty foods and cooking by-products harden inside pipes and create sewage backup. Don’t run water over dishes or cookware to wash oil or grease down the sink. Instead, wipe them with a paper towel and throw the towel in the trash. Never pour cooking oil, pan drippings, gravy, bacon grease, lard, shortening, butter, margine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, creams, or sauces down the sink or toilet. Always toss them in the garbage. Dairy products contain fats that can congeal in pipes, and they add excess bacteria into our wastewater — they should never be dumped down the drain. The same goes for grains (like noodle and rice), bones, and coffee grounds!
- Never Pour Chemicals Down the Drain: Paints, chemicals, solvents, and other organic compounds should never be flushed down the drain or toilet. They should always be safely disposed of in the trash or at a designated hazardous waste disposal site.
- Reduce Water Usage: The less water and waste that goes into the sewer system, the better. Help us reduce consumption and capacity by doing things like turning off water while brushing and shaving, and limiting the duration of showers.
If you have any questions about how you can help, please contact the Northport Village Corporation at [email protected]
Thank you for doing your part to help keep Bayside running.
The Northport Village Corporation Utilities Committee
You can also download a PDF version of this page as a printable brochure.