Grease -- Public Enemy Number 1 for Sewer Lines

In the year 2001, the City of Navasota received 527 sewer backup calls; only 32 of these backups were in the main sewer lines. The remaining 495 blockages were in the homeowner's service line. Grease was present in almost every blocked sewer line -- it is the #1 cause of sewer problems. Sewer backups can be greatly reduced if grease is not put down household drains. Grease and cooking oil should be poured into a can or other disposable container and put in the garbage. If all residents would dispose of grease and oil properly, sewer line problems could be reduced.

The accumulation of fats, oil, and grease inside sewer pipes is one of the leading causes of sanitary sewer overflows. The disposal of these materials into the sanitary sewer system can eventually restrict the flow in the pipe and cause untreated wastewater to back up into homes and businesses. In addition, manholes can overflow into parks, yards, streets, and storm drains, thus impacting local water quality, including drinking water supplies. Restaurants spend large amounts of money each year to keep their pipes free of fats, oil, and grease. Cities spend large amounts as well to maintain their sanitary sewer systems. Preventing blockages from fats, oil, and grease benefits both a city and its residents.

The following DOs and DON'Ts listed below will help residents and their neighbors avoid expensive sewer back-ups, plumbing emergencies, rate increases to cover sewer maintenance and repairs, and help protect water quality in the community.

DO
• Properly dispose of or recycle used cooking oil. To dispose of it, place the used cooking oil in a sealable container and place it in the trash. To recycle large amounts, like from a catfish fry or frying a turkey, contact a local recycler by looking in the yellow pages under .Greases. or .Rendering.. If you have a lot of oil to dispose of, use clay kitty litter. Just mix in the litter, a little at a time, into the oil. When all the oil has been absorbed, pour the kitty litter into a trash bag, seal the bag, then dispose of it in your regular trash.
• Scrape food scraps into the trash, not the sink.
• Wipe pots, pans, and dishes with dry paper towels before rinsing or washing them. Then throw away the paper towels.
• Place a catch basket or screen over the sink drain when rinsing dishware or when peeling or trimming food to catch small scraps that would otherwise be washed down the drain. Throw the scraps in the trash.
• Rinse dishes and pans with cold water before putting them in the dishwasher. Hot water melts the oil and grease off the dishes and into the sewer pipes. Later on in the sewer, the hot water will cool and the fats, oil, and grease will clog the pipes.

DON'T
• Don't use a garbage disposal or food grinder. Grinding food up before rinsing it down the drain does not remove fats, oil, and grease. It just makes the pieces smaller. Even non-greasy food scraps can plug your home's sewer lines. So don't put food of any kind down the drain.
• Don't pour cooking oil, pan drippings, bacon grease, salad dressings, or sauces down the sink, toilet, or street gutters and storm drains.
• Don't use cloth towels or rags to scrape plates or clean greasy or oily dishware. When you wash them, the grease will end up in the sewer.
• Don't run water over dishes, pans, fryers, and griddles to wash oil and grease down the drain.

The information for the DOs and DON'T s is from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. For more information, please call the Navasota Public Works Department at (936)825-6450.