Perris, CA (November 19, 2021) — Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) is celebrating World Toilet Day today by reminding its customers to do their part in being Sewer Smart.

World Toilet Day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of responsible wastewater systems and the role they play in protecting public health around the world.

EMWD is proud to have the region’s largest wastewater collection system and to help protect public health through the responsible and environmentally sustainable treatment and reuse of wastewater. EMWD and its customers continue to invest in a system that protects public health, the environment and provides long-term benefits to local water supplies through the beneficial use of recycled water for irrigation.

EMWD customers can do their part to protect EMWD’s nearly 2,000 miles of sewer system pipelines – and the sewer lines on their own property – by practicing these habits:

• Customers should avoid placing “Flushable” wipes down the toilet. These wipes do not break down like toilet paper and can remain intact for years while submerged in water, causing blockages in the sewer system or damage equipment at wastewater treatment facilities. Such wipes should be disposed of in a waste bin.
• Customers should also avoid flushing unused medications down drains or toilets. When medications enter the wastewater collection system, they can end up in recycled water and ultimately in the local groundwater basins. To dispose of unused medications, return them to a pharmacy drop-off center or put them in a bag of kitty litter, which will deactivate the medications, and dispose in a waste bin.
• This holiday season, EMWD encourages families to responsibly dispose of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) that are the byproduct of fatty holiday meals such as turkey, roast beef, and bacon. When FOG cools, it hardens in drain lines and can cause blockages, which can be costly and lead to sewer spills or line breaks in the street. To properly dispose of FOG, customers should pour it into a coffee can or similar container; or let it cool and wipe the pan with paper towels and dispose of it in a waste bin.

“EMWD is proud of the work we do to protect public health through our wastewater collection and treatment systems,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “We hope that when our customers flush on World Toilet Day, and every other day of the year, that they also do their part to keep our wastewater collection system healthy.”

EMWD currently treats more than 45 million gallons of wastewater every day, transforming it into a high-quality recycled water supply. EMWD is proud of its Healthy Sewers efforts and asks our customers to join us in being Sewer Smart on World Toilet Day, throughout the upcoming holiday season, and every day throughout the year.

For more information, please visit www.emwd.org/sewersmart.

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Eastern Municipal Water District is the water, wastewater and recycled water service provider to nearly one million people living and working within a 558-square mile service area in western Riverside County. It is California’s sixth-largest retail water agency, and its mission is “To deliver value to our diverse customers and the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services.”
More information can be found at www.emwd.org.