DeKalb County Georgia. Source: Google Maps.

By Ellie Ritter, contributor 

In an effort to prevent sewer overflows and revitalizing the local sewer system, DeKalb County will replace more than 4,000 vented sewer manholes.

According to the release, these manholes are all over, with more than 65,000 manholes in the county. The county began replacing the manholes last month, and the project should be completed by the end of the year.

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In addition to having more capacity, the new manholes are completely solid and will block rainwater, stormwater inflow and debris from entering the sewer system.

“Preventing sewer overflows is a priority for the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) and the department encourages residents to help prevent sewer overflows by properly disposing of fats, oils and grease (FOG),”a press release from the county said, adding that FOG is the main cause of more than 60 percent of the county’s sewer overflows.

To help prevent sewer overflow and damage, DeKalb County residents and businesses should do the following:

• Don’t pour fats, oils and grease down drains or flush in toilets.
• Pour cooled fats, oils and grease into a sealed container and place it in the garbage.
• Use a paper towel to clean up excess grease residue left on the inside of pots, pans, and utensils. Be sure to place greasy towels in the trash.
• Place all food scraps from plates, pots, pans, utensils and any cooking surfaces into the trash for disposal. Residents and businesses with garbage disposals should also place food scraps into the trash.

So far, the county has already made a large effort to clean up the sewer systems, already having removed more than 80 tons of sediment and debris from clogged sanitary sewer lines, the release said.

Additionally, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond recently introduced plans aimed at cleaning the sewer system. The project was approved by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and could take two years to complete, marking the first time in 50 years that DeKalb County will clean the sewer trunk lines.

For more information, please visit the DWM website.