>------------------------------
>
>Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1993 21:27:05 -0500
>From: James TenCate <jtc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Antifreeze
>
>
>This question has been addressed briefly on this list a while back but
>I think I have something new to add so here we go again...
>(sorry if you've seen this before Lee but I gotta ask again :-)
>
>On the side of my Prestone jug of antifreeze it says something about disposal
>in sanitary sewer systems (e.g., toilet or sink as long as you're not on
>septic)
>is OK (but check with local authorities first). Well, I checked with my
>local authorities and got a BIG run-around; city governments are really
>bad here in TX. Basically I got two answers: "Sure, no problem" and
>"Certainly not! Take it to hazardous waste." Here's the first question:
>Does anyone know whether wastewater treament plants CAN handle antifreeze?
>What the scoop here? Anyone know? Meanwhile, I'm trying to find someone
>here in Austin that REALLY knows and keep taking my used stuff to QuickLube.
>I must confess that I HAVE poured a gallon of fairly new antifreeze/water
>down the toilet a while back and I'm now getting that horrific feeling
>that I did something BAD!
I called our township's water & sewer supervisor and found out
the following: Anti-freeze for some plants would be bad because
the plant depends on bilogical activity to treat the sewage. In
such cases, the anti-freeze would kill the bacteria which are
part of the process.
Having said that, however, it probably matters much more on the
volume of anti-freeze compared to the total processing capacity
of the plant. If you've dumped 2 gallos of a 50/50 mix of
used antifreeze into the system, that would be dilluted further
by the larger volume of sewage being treated. You one
gallon of anti-freeze amy end up being diluted in a plant of
say 1/2 million gallons or more. As such, I wouldn't
be too concerned about what has already been done, but I'd try
to avoid disposal into the sewer in the future.
Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's.
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Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
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