Fat, oil and grease are a real "pain in the drain" because they are the major cause of problems we find in sewer lines. Things like oil, butter, margarine, shortening, pan drippings and sauces can cause blockages in sewer lines. Clogged sewer lines can lead to sewer spills, which are bad for the environment, and can be expensive.
GUC does everything it can to prevent sewer spills, but we can't do it alone. We need your help!
The best way you can prevent sewer spills is to never pour fat, oil or grease down the drain. Instead, let it cool down, collect it in a container -- like a used soup can or mayonnaise jar -- and throw it away in the trash. We have reusable lids for customers to use in their kitchens. If you'd like one, please call 329-2199 and we'll put it in the mail for you.
Running hot water along with the fats, oil and grease doesn't help! Don't believe the myth that it's okay to pour grease down the drain as long as you run the water at the same time. No amount of hot water keeps grease from eventually congealing. This only gets the grease through the part of the pipes in your home. Once it goes into the sewer and cools, it sticks to the walls of the pipes and creates an expensive and messy problem of sewer backups - for you, for your neighbors and for the creeks and rivers in your neighborhood.
It's never okay to pour any type of fat, oil or grease down the drain.
Here are some more ways to "cease the grease" –
- Wipe or scrape your dishes before washing them.
- Remove excess oil from pots and pans with a paper towel and throw away the towel in a trash can.
- Use strainers in sink drains to collect food scraps and throw away the scraps in the trash.
- Scrape food scraps from dishes into trash cans or garbage bags.
- Avoid using your garbage disposal
- Remove oil and grease from dishes, pans, fryers and griddles. Cool first before you skim, scrape or wipe off excess grease and put it into the trash.
- Put used fat, oil and grease in a foiled lined bag, such as a foiled coffee bag or a used soup or vegetable can. GUC has reusable lids, free of charge. Call 329-2199 if you'd like one for your kitchen.
Recycle Cooking Oil. If you generate large amounts of used cooking oil, like when you fry turkeys, you can reuse or recycle it.
Pitt County's recycling efforts now include a residential cooking oil recycling program at the transfer station off Allen Road. Residents can take their used cooking oil (like you would use to deep fry food) to the site and instead of it being added to a landfill, or worse, in our sewer pipes, it will be recycled into biodiesel fuel, a non-toxic, biodegradable clean-burning alternative to petroleum diesel.
Thanks for your help, and please spread the word about how important it is to "cease the grease." Together, we can protect our sewer system and the environment. For more information, call 551-1551.