The city of Hillsboro has contracted with Myers Cleaning of Goddard to clean sewer lines in an area bordered by Hickory Street to the west, Washington Street to the east, Grand Avenue to the north and D Street to the south.
The cleaning operation is necessary, officials said, to help prevent stoppages.
Residences in the affected area should have been notified of the project with a yellow sticker on the front door.
The cleaning process, according to the sticker, can develop air pressure or a partial vacuum in the line. Either one will dissipate through the plumbing system, unless a house has inadequate plumbing vents.
In the latter case, air pressure could escape through the toilet, floor, sink, tub or shower drains, causing water to splash out. A vacuum, meanwhile, could draw the water out of fixture traps, causing an unpleasant odor.
To guard against either possibility, the city recommends:
n covering all floor drains with plastic and placing a weight on the plastic;
n covering toilets with plastic and closing the lid on the plastic.
If an unpleasant odor occurs, residents should run water into each drain to refill the traps.
For more information, call 947-1603.
