For immediate release
Don't let your pipes go to the birds
Three tips to prevent kitchen clogs this holiday season
Hillsboro, OR — November 14, 2007 —
After big holiday meals no one likes to be the one stuck doing clean-up. But if you aren’t careful with leftover gravy, pan drippings and sauces, a grease-clogged drain could end up costing you a wing and a leg.
Clean Water Services, your local sewer utility in Washington County, is helping residents combat the fat by offering a free “Freeze the Grease, Save the Drain!” kit. Call (503) 681-3678 to get your kit which includes a can lid, grease scraper and easy-to-follow instructions to:
1. Scrape grease and food scraps into a can.
2. Freeze it.
3. Toss the can into the trash.
“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. “Property owners can prevent problems for themselves and their sewer utility by proper disposal.”
When fats, oils and grease go down the drain, they stick to the inside of sewer pipes. 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.
Clean Water Services is a water resource management utility for more than 500,000 people in urban
Washington County and small portions of Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Lake Oswego, and
Portland. Clean Water Services operates four wastewater treatment facilities, 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.
# # #