Fat-Free Sewers: Prevent Fats, Oils and Greases from damaging your home and the environment

The Water Environment Federation

Helping to prevent sewer overflows and backups is easy.

Where  does the grease come from?

Grease is a byproduct of cooking from meat fats, lard, oils, shortening, butter, margarine, food scraps, baked goods, sauces and dairy products. When washed down the sink, grease sinks to the sink, grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and under the street). Over time, it can build up and block entire portions of your home’s plumbing system.

The results can be:

*Raw sewage overflowing into your home or the house next door.

*An expensive and unpleasant cleanup often required to be paid for by you, the home or business owner.

*Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards, streets and streams.

*Potential contact with disease-causing organisms.

*An increase in operation and maintenance cost for local sewer departments, which causes higher sewer bills for customers.

You can help!

Help prevent sewer overflows by:

*Never pouring grease or oils down sinks drains or into toilets.

*Scraping grease and food scrapes into a can or the trash for disposal for recycling when available.

*Putting baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids and then emptying them into the trash.

*Speaking with your friends and neighbors about how to keep grease out of sewers.

Fats, oils and grease aren’t just bad for arteries and waistlines; they’re bad for sewers, too.

Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors and threaten the environment. A common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.

Caution: Grease traps or interceptors at restaurants, large buildings and other commercial establishments must be properly designed to handle the amount of grease that is expected be installed correctly and be cleaned and serviced on a frequent basis.

Disclaimer:  This information comes from a pamphlet from the Water Environment Federation. This brochure was prepared under Cooperative Agreement Assistance CX824505-01-0 between the Water Environment Federation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For more information, contact your local sewer system authority or the Water Environment Federation. The water for quality people. Please call the above number for more information

Water Environment Federation

601 Wythe Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

T: 1-800-666-0206

F: 1-703-684-2492

http://www.wef.org