# big problem dumping sediment down the drain ?



## bakervinyard (Apr 18, 2015)

I have a question for all fellow wine makers. Does everyone just dump your sediment, lees down your sink drain ? I've been doing this for years and this past week my sink in the basement backed up. I checked the p-trap, that wasn't it. I took the cap off one of my clean-outs, water went all over the wall. That wasn't it. I called a drain company, they came down and tried to snake the drain. the technician said he needed a bigger snake and would be back in the morning. That didn't work. Another truck came with a different kind of snake, no such luck. They put a camera in the sewer pipe and told me it was broken. I called a contractor and they dug up my sewr pipe and found that 10 feet of the line was clogged with a green substance. Never saw anything like that.
Is it the yeast and nutrients from my must ?? Anyone ever have this happen ? Bakervinyard


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## Floandgary (Apr 18, 2015)

City sewer or septic system?? Unlikely to get a clog in sewer system from gooey lees or anything else unless a line broke and/or possible root invasion, or even just a low spot.
Likewise for a septic system tho the leachbed could provide a resting place for solids. There's plenty of bacteria and yeasties at work in that system too!


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## Bergmann (Apr 18, 2015)

I have been dumping it down the drain (septic) for years, never a problem, Never have to add ridX either. Now I have a few rentals, and have had problems with them, both septic and city sewer, They have been clogged with an almost solid sandy or cement like substance of varying colors. You will never imagine what it was. (Had a chemist determine that) Powdered laundry soap.. never had a problem at home because I use Liquid laundry soap. Go figure.


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## willie (Apr 18, 2015)

Have dumped down the drain but now I just toss out in the garden. 

Will


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## dralarms (Apr 18, 2015)

I used. to dump it down the drain. but my wine shop is not connected to the septic tank so it gets tossed in the yard.


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## vacuumpumpman (Apr 19, 2015)

Bakervinyard
this happens more often than you think it does. The ground will shift and heave causing the pipe to break. That is exactly how water mains break as well.

I have and will keep putting it down the sink ( I have a septic ) It is biodegradable and lots of yeast to help out the septic in general.


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## bakervinyard (Apr 19, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the comments. It is city sewer. Maybe i'll start to dump the sediment in the back yard and fertilize the grass. Lol, Bakervinyard


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## JohnT (Apr 20, 2015)

bakervinyard said:


> Thanks everyone for the comments. It is city sewer. Maybe i'll start to dump the sediment in the back yard and fertilize the grass. Lol, Bakervinyard


 
That is what I do. Dump it onto the back lawn and then spray it with a hose to break up any big clumps.


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## BernardSmith (Apr 20, 2015)

I add the sediment to my compost...


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