Hillsboro, OR — November 08, 2006 —
The holidays are just around the corner bringing together family, friends and of course, food. While you may dread having to listen to Uncle Ed’s latest hunting escapade or put up with Cousin Monty’s knock-knock jokes, make sure you keep one unexpected guest away—the plumber. Your pipes—and your pocketbook—will thank you for it.
This time of year the extra people and food in your home can put a strain on drains and your sewer system. According to Roto-Rooter, the gradual buildup of grease, hair, soap and food particles are the top causes for clogged pipes on any given day. However, this time of year’s additional shower-takers coupled with Aunt May’s leftover turkey grease running down the kitchen sink can cause a clog. Although you may not be able to lock the bathroom door, you are able to prevent grease-clogged pipes.
“Fats, oils and grease are the number one preventable reason for residential sewer blockages and backups, according to Ted Claussen, Maintenance Supervisor at Clean Water Services, the sewer and stormwater utility for nearly 500,000 people in urban Washington County. “Property owners can prevent problems for themselves and their sewer utility by proper disposal.”
Grease is found in such things as meat fats (gravy!), cooking oil, shortening, sauces and dairy products. When these are washed down your sink, grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). However, these can cause serious damage to your pipes if they are put down the kitchen sink. Over time, it can build up and block the entire pipe. The results can be:
- Raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbors home
- Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards and streets
- Potential contact with disease-causing organisms
- An increase in operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments, which causes higher sewer bills for customers.
One important point to remember is that home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing
system. Products, such as detergents, that claim to dissolve grease may pass it down the line and cause problems elsewhere.
So what can you do? Here are five tips to help your pipes fight the battle of the bulge:
- Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets
- Scrape grease and food scraps into a can or the trash for disposal (or recycling where available)
- Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty into the trash
- Speak with your friends and neighbors about how to keep grease out of sewers
- Call (503) 681-3678 for your free Freeze the Grease, Save the Drain kit. The kit includes a pan scraper and a can lid for your cooling fat.
“Just because fats, oils, and grease are mostly liquid, doesn’t mean they glide through your drains like water. They stick to sewer pipe walls creating layers of buildup—similar to cholesterol accumulating in our arteries,” said Karen DeBaker, Public Information Specialist for Clean Water Services.
When grease goes down the drain, the pinch is not only in your pipes, but your wallet as well. With waste unable to leave your property, messy sewer backups occur resulting in expensive cleanup and repair in your home. As a double whammy, the untreated wastewater may flow into the street, neighborhood storm drains and ultimately the nearest river or stream. “It then becomes a problem for the surrounding communities and the environment,” commented DeBaker.
Clean Water Services is the sanitary sewer and surface water management utility for nearly 500,000 customers in urban Washington County and small portions of Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Lake Oswego, and Portland. Clean Water Services operates four wastewater treatment plants, constructs and maintains flood management and water quality projects and manages flow in the Tualatin River to improve water quality and protect fish habitat. Although Clean Water Services maintains a close working relationship with Washington County government, it is a separately managed and financed public utility.