Gecko Enterprises of Waialua performs septic system maintenance for homes and businesses that aren’t connected to municipal sewage lines, which is rather common on Oahu. While a septic tank only deals with your household waste, there are actually a lot of similarities between it and your local sewage plant, some of which have been newsworthy in recent years.

Here, they’ll tell you a few things you should know about your local Oahu sewage plant:

Not Everything Can Be Flushed

Despite the fact that many products are marketed as “flushable,” the only items you should actually flush down the toilet are waste and toilet paper, not sanitary napkins, diapers, or anything else. In the kitchen, you should avoid putting grease (and many other products) down the drain. Septic tanks can’t handle these products because they don’t break down and thus frequently cause blockages and backups. But what many people don’t realize is their local sewage plant isn’t invincible by comparison. Urban sewage systems frequently deal with “fatbergs,” enormous accumulations of fat, oil, grease, and non-biodegradable materials, which block pipes and require manual removal. Even if it doesn’t affect your own home, flushing these kinds of materials doesn’t help your community.

Public Infrastructure Is Limited

At the beginning of 2014, a wastewater backup was responsible for completely shutting down a popular Honolulu tourist attraction and making the area reek of sewage. Later that year, there was a massive wastewater spill elsewhere on the island, which also caused a local power outage.

Right now, Oahu’s sewage system, which includes nine wastewater treatment plants throughout the island, is not enough to accommodate everyone’s needs. Households should take great care to watch what they flush, whether they’re connected to municipal systems or use a septic system, and everyone should always get regular septic tank or grease trap pumping services. Not only are these practices good for your own health and safety, they are especially important while Oahu improves its sewage plant system.

For professional septic tank, grease trap, and cesspool pumping on Oahu, give Gecko Enterprises a call at (808) 637-3240, or visit their website for more information.