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So far HCWCID 136 has created 19 blog entries.

Holiday Trash Schedule- May 2025

May 26, 2025 which is normal garbage collection is a holiday and there will be no trash collection until Thursday, May 29. Do not put trash out before 3 pm on the 28th.

By |2025-04-28T10:44:06-05:00April 28th, 2025|

DO’S AND DON’TS: WHAT CAN YOU POUR DOWN THE DRAIN?

What Can You Pour Down the Drain?

“Don’t pour that down the drain, it will clog it!”

Most of us have been admonished by someone pouring grease or some other substance down a sink or other drain. However, there are far more culprits to a clogged pipe system than bacon grease and knowing what is safe to flush or drain can save you money and headaches over the long run.

That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide about what not to pour down the drain and how to deal with common household items.

What Not to Put Down Your Drain

While none of these should instantaneously clog a kitchen sink or toilet, over time these items will significantly hurt your plumbing systems and pipes, so don’t put these down:

  • Grease: Grease (along with fats and oils) are substances that cause kitchen plumbing issues. As these are binding agents once they cool down, they will rapidly clog pipes and drains. Put these in jars or cans to cool before disposing of them in the trash.
  • Expanding Food: We’re talking about the rice, pasta, and oatmeal of the world. Most starchy or grainy solids that puff up will cause blockages if they are poured down your drain. Scraping plates into the trash before rinsing is a must.
  • Coffee Grounds: One of the most common causes of kitchen sink blockages, coffee grounds are harsh on pipes and do not get properly ground by garbage disposals.
  • Flour: We don’t recommend making a sourdough starter in your kitchen sink drain. Think of the consistency of bread dough – it pretty much just takes flour and water, so avoid a clog by not putting flour down the drain.
  • Eggshells: Another seemingly harmless bi-product like coffee grounds, these are not easily disposed of and can get stuck in viscous pockets of other difficultto- drain substances.
  • Fibrous Fruits and Veggies: Produce like pumpkin, corn husks, and other tough-shelled fruits and veggies can easily clog your kitchen sink. Trash or compost them instead.
  • Paint: Paint can immediately cause serious drainage issues – and subsequent health risks. There are reasons why there are hazardous waste labels on most paints, so avoid rinsing them down your drain.
  • Paper Products: Specifically avoid any non-toilet paper as any excess of fibrous paper can cause a clog. Items like paper towels, wipes, sanitary products, or packaging should never be put down a drain – they will not leave without professional assistance.
  • Harsh Cleaning Products: These products might not necessarily clog your sinks and drains, but they can be hazardous to your health and eat away at your pipes. Check specific labels on products to see how best to dispose of them.
  • Flushable Products: Feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, and other ‘flushable’ products can all put significant strain on your drain. Some people (and even product packaging) will insist these are fine to flush but take it from us – they are not.
  • Medication: Another seemingly innocuous set of products in terms of clogging, medication is a leading source of contaminating water supplies. Be courteous to your own household as well as others by not flushing or draining unused medication. There are dozens of other common products that can harm pipes – we always recommend thinking about how a material will react to confined spaces and water before putting it down a drain.

When a Clogged Sink Becomes a Bigger Problem

While specific product and single-drain issues are important to understand and prevent, there is one scenario that requires significant alarm and immediate professional assistance: a mainline clog.

A main sewer line blockage can cause significant property damage as well as contaminate your water. Several telltale signs of this issue are:

Multiple drains are backed up at once: Especially if you have not noticed issues prior and they quickly switched to gurgling, draining slowly, and emitting putrid smells.
Sewage forced up floor drains/sewer cleanouts: If water cannot pass through your main sewer line, then the sewage/wastewater will have to escape elsewhere. This will be either your sewer cleanout, sitting floor drains, or both.
Water backs up in your shower when the toilet flushes: This is the most common occurrence of displaced wastewater with nowhere to go, but there are other similar issues. These include toilet overflows while using a dishwasher or washing machine – basically anything that creates more water that cannot make it through the sewer lines.

By |2025-03-27T15:56:05-05:00March 27th, 2025|

Freeze Watch

H20 Innovation staff will be mobilized and standing by to deal with water main breaks and water plant issues. If you experience a pipe freeze on your side of your water meter outside your home, H20 can only turn your water off at the meter. If you have a pipe broken inside your home, you can isolate your private cut off usually located on the side of your home below your water spigot. Or inside the garage. It’s a good idea to have the names of a couple of plumbers should you need them. As H2O does not repair homeowner private water lines.

Freeze Preparation Tips

  • Wrap outdoor and garage pipes.
  • Remove water hoses and wrap water spigot.
  • Drain and turn off sprinklers system.
  • Turn off water to your washer if in garage.
  • If you leave your house before a freeze, turn off the water at your private cut off valve and leave your heat on.

Protect your pipes when it freezes!

  • Open cabinets under sinks to let your house’s heat warm the pipes.
  • If your pipes freeze, turn off the water at your private cut off valve. This prevents broken pipes from leaking into house after they thaw.
  • Let faucets drip from the cold and hot taps or run water through your indoor faucets before you go to sleep.

***Check your Insurance coverage. Flood insurance does not pay for damaged caused by freeze.

By |2025-04-28T10:35:38-05:00January 6th, 2025|

Holiday Trash Pick Up

Reminder: There will be no garbage collection on Thanksgiving Day. Service will resume on Monday, December 2nd. Please plan accordingly and thank you for your understanding.

By |2024-11-25T18:58:36-06:00November 25th, 2024|

Debris Separation Guide and Pick Up

Harris County Precinct 3 to Begin Collecting Residential Vegetative Debris on July 15, 2024

Beginning Monday, July 15, 2024, Harris County Precinct 3 crews will be collecting storm-related residential vegetative debris left on the curb.   Residents should report their debris to Precinct 3 by calling 713-274-3100 or submitting their location at pct3.com/service-request.

Residents must follow the instructions in the Debris Separation Guide provided below to ensure that their debris is collected.

By |2024-11-25T11:12:58-06:00July 16th, 2024|

Precinct 3 Debris Removal

Precinct 3 Residents,
Precinct 3 Road and Bridge crews and contracted trucks will be starting debris pick- up on Monday, May 20th. Our area stretches from The Villages up to Cypress, through Tomball, Spring, Humble, Atascocita, then down the San Jacinto River through Huffman, Crosby, Highlands, and Baytown to Channelview. We were especially hard hit in Cypress and The Villages areas.

We expect debris operations to last for weeks to months, so please be patient as we move through the affected areas. Each debris zone where debris has been reported will have assets assigned. Presence will be heavier in the most impacted areas.

The most impactful things you can do to help are as follows:

  • REPORT DEBRIS to our hotline by calling 713-274-3880, this greatly helps with planning and staging of assets. You can also call Precinct 3 dispatch at 713-274-3100, if the debris hotline is busy.
  • Follow the debris staging/sorting guidelines in the attached handout (vegetative, construction, appliances, electronics, hazardous)
  • If at all possible, do not park cars on the street near or across from debris piles. Our trucks and equipment are very large and if an area is not able to be accessed we will have to return later once obstructions have been removed.

Please know that we understand how traumatic and disruptive an event like this can be. Many of our crews who will be working in your areas are also Precinct 3 residents with property damage and power outages… this makes us especially proud to be serving you. Thank you for your partnership in the recovery efforts

Sincerely,
Tom Ramsey
Commissioner Precinct

By |2024-07-16T16:14:25-05:00June 5th, 2024|

Winterize Your Home

With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

  • People
  • Pets
  • Pipes
  • Plants

People

  • Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
  • To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
  • Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
  • If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
  • Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
  • If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

  • While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
  • Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
  • If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
  • If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
  • If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

  • Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
  • Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
  • Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
  • Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
  • You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

  • When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
  • If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

  • Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
  • Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
  • Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.
By |2024-02-29T21:34:37-06:00January 12th, 2024|

Winter Freeze Warning

Being prepared is the first step in reducing costly home repairs and emergency situations during inclement weather . Here are some tips to help keep you warm, safe and reduce the chance of damage to your residence and/or property:

  • Shop earlier for supplies! When dangerous weather is pending, don’t wait to stock up on useful items, such as pipe insulation, bottled water, canned goods, hygiene & feminine products, pet food, batteries, flashlights, wood for fire places, gas powered generator if possible, and blankets. Checking fuel levels in your vehicle and toping off if necessary is also a good idea.
  • Stock up on medications and first aid supplies! Road conditions may become hazardous during inclement weather, so make sure you have at least a weeks worth of first aid needs and prescribed medications on hand.
  • Insulating outside water pipes! Check around and near your home and property to insure there are no exposed water pipes. Covering any outside faucets, water spigots and turning off automated water sprinkler systems is a must during freezing temps.
  • Check on elderly family members and friends prior to inclement weather. They may not have the resources to stock up on supplies, and may require assistance.
  • Bring outside pets indoors! Remember: If you’re cold, they’re cold. Bring them into a warm area with plenty of bedding. If your pet requires a prescription medication, make sure you have a least a weeks worth on hand during the inclement weather.
  • Checking all window and door sills to ensure proper fit and that they are air tight to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping. This is especially important in case of power loss in your home.
  • Cover outside plants and shrubbery with sheets. Covering your landscaping will help minimize the risk of damage caused by frost and freezing temps, and when possible, bring potted plants indoors.
By |2024-02-29T21:34:26-06:00January 12th, 2024|
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