Have you ever experienced a sanitary sewer back-up or overflow? Luckily, most sewer back-ups and overflows can be prevented with a progressive preventive maintenance program.  All of us can help to prevent them by wisely using the City of Laurinburg’s sanitary sewer system.

Sewer back-ups and overflows are frequently caused by improper materials such as fats, oils, and grease being placed into the sewer system.  Since fats, oils, and grease are lighter than water, they tend to accumulate at the top and sides of sewer pipes and can build up until a blockage occurs.  If a blockage happens, the sewer backs up or overflows resulting in interior home damage, environmental damage, and health hazards.

The City of Laurinburg’s Fats, Oils, and Grease Ordinance requires that food service facilities should install and maintain grease traps and/or interceptors to prevent grease from entering the sewer system.  However, there are many more residential kitchens than there are restaurants in Laurinburg.  By reducing the amount of fats, oils, and grease that enter the sewer system from homes, you can help to protect the environment by preventing sewer back-ups and overflows.

Sanitary sewer systems are designed to handle three things: used water, human body waste, and toilet paper.  Here are some simple actions that you can take that will help the City protect water quality and maintain the sewer system in Laurinburg.

DO NOT:

• Pour grease, fats, and oils from cooking down the drain.
• Use the toilet as a wastebasket.
• Use the sewer as a means to dispose of food scraps.

DO:

• Collect grease in a container and dispose of it in the garbage.
• Place food scraps in waste containers or garbage bags for disposal with solid waste, or start a compost pile.
• Place a wastebasket in the bathroom to dispose of solid waste.  Disposable diapers, condoms, and personal hygiene products do not belong in the sewer system.

These suggestions can save you money too!
Most sewer back-ups occur between the house and the City’s sewer main, where the property owner is responsible for correcting the problem.  Avoiding blockages means avoiding plumbing bills.  When the blockage occurs in the City’s sewer main, the City will correct the problem.  Please call the Public Works Division at (910)276-2364, 24 hours a day, to report a sewer back-up or overflow.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UTILITY PAYMENT PLANS

Laurinburg, N.C. – August 21, 2020 – The Governor’s Executive Orders 124 and 142 placed a moratorium on residential customer disconnections from March 31, 2020 to July 29, 2020.  Some customers have not paid balances over this March 31-July 29 timeframe, or have paid partial balances.  The executive orders require that these customers must be given the opportunity to pay their balance (the amount in arrears) using a reasonable payment arrangement that spreads out repayment of those balances over at least six (6) months from the expiration of the executive orders on July 29^th.

The City of Laurinburg suspended disconnections and late fees prior to the Governor’s Executive Orders, therefore, in order to assist our customers further, any unpaid balances for residential bills dated March 1 to July 1 will be included in the utility payment plans.  The total of any unpaid balances during this time period will be split into six (6) equal, fixed monthly installments.  Each customer will be given a copy of their individual payment plan that shows the amount of their monthly installment.

Please note that customers will be required to pay their monthly installment in addition to any current amount due beginning with the bills dated September 1, 2020.  In order to comply with the payment plan, customers need to pay the amount of their monthly installment for any unpaid balances in addition to their current monthly amount due going forward, or their account will be subject to disconnection.

The payment plan period only includes bills with a bill date of March 1, 2020 to July 1, 2020.  It does not include bills dated prior to March 1, 2020, therefore, any unpaid balances on those bills need to be paid immediately or those accounts could be subject to disconnection.  The payment plans also do not include the most recent bills dated August 1, 2020.  Based on normal disconnection policies, if bills dated August 1, 2020 are not paid by no later than September 5, 2020, those accounts will be subject to disconnection.

Please contact Customer Services at 910-276-1521 for any additional questions.  As always, thank you for allowing us to serve you.

FEMA Final Public Notice