Grease and Oil Block Pipes
Pouring cooking oil and grease down the sink can block your pipes. In Fredville, grease buildup causes more sewer overflows than anything else, and every overflow is a health risk, harms the environment and costs a great deal to clean up.
Once a pipe is blocked, untreated sewage can back up and spill out of cleanouts or city manholes, polluting the soil and nearby waterways.
Clearing clogged pipes takes up a large share of what the city spends maintaining the sewer system, and those costs end up on your water bill.
Disposing of Cooking Oil and Grease
Used grease and cooking oil count as household hazardous waste, so they need to be disposed of the right way.
- Let grease cool, then pour it into a container that seals and won't leak, such as an empty coffee can or a detergent bottle with a cap.
- Store it in the refrigerator until you can drop it off at a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event.
Sign up for an HHW collection event.
A Little Grease on Pots and Pans
- Wipe the pan with a paper towel, napkin or sheet of newspaper, then toss it in the trash.
- When you drain meat in a colander, set the colander over newspaper rather than the sink, and throw the newspaper away afterward.
Fatty Food Scraps
- Keep fatty food scraps out of the garbage disposal.
- Compost them or put them in the trash instead.
Motor Oil and Other Lubricants
- Never pour motor oil or any other lubricant down a drain.
- Keep each type of oil in its own container instead of mixing them.
- Bring used motor oil to the next HHW collection event, or to an auto parts store or retail auto center that recycles it, such as the BudgetBarn auto center.
Are "Flushable" Wipes Really Flushable?
Wipes sold as flushable don't belong in the toilet. They don't break apart after you flush, so they can damage both household plumbing and the city's sewer system. Instead, they tangle with other wipes and debris, wear out pumps at the treatment plant and have to be pulled off screens and out of lift stations.
Wipes also cause clogs in main sewer lines and in customers' own lines. Fats, oils and grease cling to them, and crews must clear the buildup by hand. Toilet paper falls apart almost immediately, but tough, fibrous wipes wreak havoc on city sewer lines and treatment plants.
If you use wipes, put them in the trash instead of flushing them. That keeps sewer lines flowing and helps you avoid paying for clog removal at home, while saving the treatment plant the same trouble.
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