Fall is back and with it, the crisp cool air in the morning! One thing we all need to remember as Houston’s temperatures begin to drop and we enjoy the beautiful weather outside, is to adjust our sprinkler systems. We have noticed in the past, that some residents choose to leave their sprinkler systems on during the winter. Remember leaving them on can cause the grass to become shallow and unhealthy. The basic rule of thumb is to turn off your sprinklers during the winter months.

H.C. M.U.D #208 recommends our residents
TURN OFF the sprinkler system and winterize the pipes
when it’s time to set our clocks for daylight savings time.

Don’t forget about your sprinkler system! Sprinkler systems need to be winterized as well, since the PVC pipes are so close to the top of the ground, making them susceptible to a hard freeze. This will include at a minimum, your back flow preventer and depending upon the systems, some valves and pipes. Your back flow preventer is a brass device that sticks up out of the ground about a foot or two. Proper insulation of the back flow preventer and its piping protects it against leaks. If your system has a drain valve, you might also consider draining the system before a hard freeze is expected in the area. Water standing in the pipes can freeze, which could lead to unwanted leaks.

Only you have control over your sprinkler system!
When the clocks “Fall Back” don’t let your irrigation get off track!
Turn your sprinklers OFF for the winter!
EVERY DRIP COUNTS!

With many following the recommendations of health officials to clean and sterilize frequently touched surfaces in the home such as counter tops, faucets and door knobs, there has been a surge in backed-up sewer lines as people discard used disinfectant wipes, baby wipes, napkins, paper towels and other paper products into the toilet. Unfortunately, these items are not designed to and do NOT disintegrate like toilet paper. The result is clogged sewer lines and backed up, overflowing toilets. To avoid back-ups and overflows, ONLY FLUSH TOILET PAPER.

Consumer Reports notes that companies currently advertise their wipes with terms like “safe for sewers and septic”, or promise that the product will “break up like toilet paper”. But this is simply not the case, “Flushable wipes are a consumer’s dream come true but every plumber’s nightmare,” Did you know it only takes a few of those wipes to get hung up in your sewer line before you have to call the plumber and pay hundreds of dollars to have your pipes snaked.

The question comes down to how quickly a “flushable” product breaks down in water. Consumer Reports tested many of the leading brands of toilet paper and “flushable” wipes and concluded that all of the wipes completely failed the disintegration test, while even the strongest, thickest toilet papers squeaked by with a low passing grade.

So, it’s pretty simple, just keep inappropriate items (disinfectant wipes, baby wipes, napkins, paper towels, etc.) out of your toilet and out of the sewer system. This not only can save you hundreds of dollars, but keeping wipes out of the main sewer lines could save your utility district thousands of dollars.

For the sake of your plumbing, dispose of wipes in the trash can. Remember keep those wipes out of the pipes, don’t believe the hype! Flush only the 3 P’s Pee, Poo and toilet Paper.