Grease Monster
Grease: The Real Monster Growing Inside Your Sewer System
The Adverse Impact on Your Sewer System
Did you know cooking grease being poured down drains is a major cause of residential sewer main clogs resulting in unsightly, smelly and unhealthy sewer spills?
Cooking oil and grease are wastes that the city's sewer system cannot handle and should not be discarded down the drain. Grease, fat and oil will clog sewer lines (the same way bad cholesterol can clog heart arteries), causing sewage back-ups and flooding. Sewage back-ups can damage personal and public property.
SAWS is working to increase preventative maintenance of sewer lines to comply with the federal Clean Water Act.
By following a few simple rules, you can help prevent costly sewer spills in the future:
- Small amounts of cooking oil (this includes salad oil, frying
oil and bacon fat) should be poured into an empty milk carton,
frozen juice container or other nonrecyclable package and
disposed of in the garbage.
- Dishes and pots that are coated with greasy leftovers should
be wiped clean with a paper towel prior to washing or being placed
in the dishwasher.
- Instead of disposing fatty meat trimmings in the garbage disposal, place them in a plastic bag and discard in a garbage can.
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