Sewer Lateral Maintenance and Sewer Relief Valve

Help Protect your Home or Business by Installing Backflow Prevention Devices

Why? Protect yourself, your home, and your business by installing backflow prevention devices including a sewer relief valve (SRV), also known as a backwater valve, and a pop-off relief device also known as a pop-off cap. Sewage overflows into homes and businesses are often caused by roots, grease, and general sewer pipeline deterioration. When a sewer blockage occurs in a private sewer pipeline or in a public sewer main, sewage backs up until it finds the lowest point to escape. That can be your shower, toilet, or sink in your home or business. Backflow prevention devices are also required for all Nevada County Sanitation District customers for new connections, significant remodels of 50% or more, and repair/replacements made to an existing sewer lateral.

Prevention: Damage resulting from sewage backing up into a home or business can easily be prevented by installing backflow prevention devices in the sewer pipeline serving your property. The backflow prevention devices allow the sewer to overflow outside your home or business instead of inside. The cost of having the backflow prevention devices installed is small compared with the cost of cleaning up a sewage spill in your home or business.

Understanding Your Sewer System and Maintenance Needs

The type of system providing sewer services to your home can vary from zone to zone when you are serviced through the Nevada County Sanitation District. 

A Homeowners Guide to Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) Systems

Nevada County Sanitation District is providing this information to help you become more familiar with your STEP Sewer System and provide important information on caring for and property owner responsibilities.

Your STEP System is our responsibility

STEP stands for septic tank effluent pumping. The STEP system on your property is actually owned by Nevada County Sanitation District. An easement is in place that allows the district access to perform maintenance and repairs to the system. The district will always try to notify property owners before conducting work.

How does a STEP work?

The system includes a septic tank and a pump. Sewage is conveyed by gravity to the tank through your building plumbing line. Liquid waste is pumped under pressure to the public sewer system. Solid waste remains in the STEP tank where it naturally degrades and is eventually pumped out. Nevada County Sanitation District maintenance personnel will inspect your tank annually; and will pump out the solids as needed. If you suspect your tank may need maintenance, please call 530-265-1411.

How to care for your STEP system

Use water efficiently. The average indoor water use in a typical single-family home is almost 200 gallons per day. Dripping faucets can waste as much as 2,000 gallons of water each year. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons of water each day. The more water a household conserves, the less water enter the STEP system.

Flush responsibly

Never flush dental floss, fats, oils or grease (FOG), feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, wipes, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat littler or other items that can clog and potentially damage your STEP system. These items need to be disposed of in the garbage can. Flushing household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze and paint can stress or destroy the biological treatment taking place in the system. These items should be taken to the McCourtney Road Transfer Station for proper disposal.

Minimize use of garbage disposals

Using your garbage disposal increases the amount of solids entering the septic tank, thus increases the frequency of required maintenance visits to pump solids from the tank. More maintenance means higher costs for everyone.

Save water, save money

Minimizing water use will save you money in terms of electricity and water cost. This will decrease sewer treatment costs for all. Minimize water use by:

• Fill the bathtub with only as much water as you need
• Turn off faucets while brushing your teeth or shaving
• Turn on dishwasher and clothes washer only when they’re full
• Flush only the three “P”s: poop, pee and paper
• Install aerators on the faucets throughout the home

Keep excess rainwater out of the system

Watch out for rain drains and storm drains that may flow in the direction of the sewer system. Additional water increases pumping costs, affects the available capacity space of the system, adds needlessly to the daily volume of the water that the plant must process, which increases costs for everyone.

Additives may cause damage

Contact the district prior to adding any additive to the system. Additives may cause damage to other parts of the system. If you are concerned about the bacteria activity in the system, call the district for an inspection,  530-265-1411.

Report vandalism

We want to make sure that any vandalism hasn’t caused some underlying malfunction to the system that may not be immediately apparent.

What you are responsible for:

• Maintain your own plumbing:
  District maintenance will service all equipment except the plumbing within the house and sewer line from the house to the tank.
• If you have a pump on the system:
  The property owner is responsible of supplying electrical power to the pump and panel. You should also know which circuit breaker supplies power to the pump. And know the location of your service panel. If a power failure occurs, the system is designed to work normally once the power reinstates. Your tank has capacity for approximately 24 hours of limited use.

Be safe

• Call before you dig: Call 811 to have the underground utilities lines marked. This is the law.
• Do not tamper with your tank: Do not attempt to enter your tank or remove the green access lid. The septic environment creates gases that can cause illness. If your lid has been removed or damaged, call the District and it will be repaired.
• Unpermitted sewer work can be dangerous and violates county code: For your own safety, please let the District make or inspect all necessary connections and repairs,  530-265-1411.