We are in the thick of the holiday season and are enjoying the meals that come during this time, so we'd like to offer an important reminder. Fats, oils and grease (known as FOG in the water industry) are an enemy to our sewer lines.
Disposing these items down the drain leads to clogging, which can result in backups, spills, environmental problems or even burst pipes. Needless to say, properly disposing of FOG, avoids these issues and could save you money.
Some examples of FOG are:
- Butter/margarine
- Grease
- Mayonnaise
- Salad dressing
- Gravy
- Sauces
- Food/meat scraps
- Lard/shortening
A better way to dispose these items would be to pour them into a metal can, let it cool and throw the can into the trash.
Plain Talk series also advises that the following items are not disposed down the drain:
- Coffee grounds
- Meat bones or other food products that don’t biodegrade easily (even after going through garbage disposal)
- Household cleaning fluids
- Automotive fluids, such as gas, oil, transmission or brake fluid, grease or antifreeze
- Pesticides, herbicides or other potentially toxic substances
- Nonbiodegradable substances or objects such as cigarette butts, disposable diapers and feminine hygiene products
Also, we advise you to:
- Wipe any greasy cooking utensils before washing.
- Add an absorbent material, like kitty litter or coffee grounds to a container before throwing in the trash.
- Pour a half-cup of baking soda down the drain and then a half-cup of white vinegar, wait 10-15 minutes before rinsing with hot water.
- Disposing FOG down the toilet does not circumvent the issue.
We hope your holiday season is happy, healthy and clog free.