The city is seeking public input on a new sanitary sewer use bylaw and will be hosting an open house on the issue.
It well be held on Wed., Jan. 30 at the Civic Centre from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Presentations will be given at 12:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will be followed by a question and answer session.
Starting on that day, an online survey will also be available on the city's website, at princegeorge.ca/utilities.
A new bylaw is being drafted to improve regulations concerning the material discharged into the system.
"To the city, these substances are not out of sight, out of mind," public works director Gina Layte Liston said.
"Substances in the sanitary sewer system can have serious consequences on public health and safety, municipal infrastructure, and the environment.
"A new bylaw would update the list of prohibited substances, clarify responsibilities and enforcement, and also make provisions for education that would help encourage compliance."
The system is made up of about 680 kilometres of pipe connecting homes and businesses to the wastewater treatment plant and lagoons. Once treated, wastewater is discharged into the Fraser River and other creeks and streams.
Operating the system costs about $4.5 million a year and $1.9 million of that goes towards running the treatment plant.
The city also typically receives 500 calls per year regarding blocked sewers. The annual cost of responding to those calls and removing grease is about $420,000 per year and the city has sunk $1.7 million into the vacuuming and flushing trucks used to do the work.
