Protecting the Environment

Part of the responsibilities of Sanitary District No. 2 is to maintain sanitary sewer pipelines and regulate sanitary sewer connections. These are very important responsibilities that help us prevent sanitary sewer overflows and discharges of partially treated wastewater into the San Francisco Bay. 

Having a properly maintained sewer system makes a positive impact to our public health and helps preserve the quality of our creeks and Bay. Learn what you can do at home and at work to help maintain our sewer system and most importantly, to protect the environment. 

Capture_Flushables are Not FlushableDo Not Flush Your Wipes

Disinfectant wipes and paper towels being flushed down toilets clog drains, back up sewers, and cause overflows at sewage treatment plants. Even if a wipe is labeled "flushable" often times, these wipes are nondegradable and therefore, don't meet the proper regulations that would allow for them to be disposed of through our sewer system. Please avoid flushing these types of products. To learn more, click on the image to the left to watch the educational video on this topic.


Capture_FOG 2Fats, Oils and Grease Cause Clogs

When you hear the word "FOG" when discussing sewers and drains, we are referring to fats, oils and grease. FOG includes things like butter, ice cream, sour cream, cooking oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise and meat fat. FOG lead to sewer backups and cause major clogs in your drains. Please do your part to keep fats, oils and grease out of your drains. To learn more, click on the image to the left to watch the educational video on this topic. 



Capture_Sump PumpSump Pumps

A sump pump is a small pump installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawlspace. It's designed to help keep the area under the building dry and to prevent flood­ing. Sump pumps pump water out of sump pits and away from the building so the basement or crawlspace stays dry. If you want to know if your sump pump is connected properly, you can learn how to make that determination by clicking on the image to the left and watching the educational video on this topic. 


Capture_MedsUnused medication

It's important to properly dispose of unused or expired medication. Flushing medication down the toilet harms the environment. Your medication can pollute our waters and contaminate our wetlands. The best way to dispose of unused or expired medicines is to drop off the medicine at a drug take back location. Visit rxsafemarin.org to find a location near you. Click on the image to the left to watch the education video on this topic.