Keep your plumbing and our collective public sewer system free from blockages and overflows by properly disposing of fats, oils and grease this holiday season.
 
A southern-style deep-fried Thanksgiving turkey. Gravy drippings. Onions sautéed in butter or oil to make the perfect stuffing. Rich eggnog. All mouth-watering holiday traditions, but most homeowners may be surprised to learn that pouring the remains of these culinary delights down the kitchen sink can cause costly and unpleasant sewer blockages and overflows.

Data gathered by regional sanitary sewer agencies find that on average, one in sixty homes is affected by a blockage in their plumbing or the main lines of the public sewer system every year. These blockages can and do sometimes cause overflows into homes.

Although tree roots are the number one cause of sewer blockages and overflows, grease from residences and restaurants is also a main contributor.

What happens is pretty simple. Fats, oil and grease (FOG) build up in pipes and cause problems. All year long, people pour byproducts of cooking down their sink drain. During the holiday season, it is expected that larger quantities of these fats will make their way to the sanitary sewer system via the kitchen sink.

Sewer blockages and overflows can be very unpleasant. Besides the mess, untreated sewage can cause health hazards and threaten the environment. Overflows can also require expensive cleanup. Sometimes residents end up paying for these cleanups directly. However, even when your local city or sewer agency does the cleanup, residents end up paying higher sewer bills due to clean-up costs.

Here are just a few simple tips from the Bay Area Clean Water Agency:

• Do not put dairy products, fats, oil, grease or greasy foods down the garbage disposal or drain.
• Freeze small amounts of fats, oils and grease in a container with a tight-sealing lid and dispose in a trash receptacle.
• Mix cooking oil with an absorbent material such as cat litter or coffee-grounds, place it in a lidded container, and dispose of it in a trash receptacle.
• For greasy pans that need to be soaked, first pour off the grease into a container as mentioned above. Then place a paper towel over the drain basket to catch grease and food particles as you pour the soaking water down the drain.
• For large quantities of cooking oil and other fats, call your local household hazardous waste collection facility or sewage treatment plant for guidance on disposal.

For more information on how to prevent fats, oils, and grease from damaging your home and the environment, contact The City of San Mateo, Department of Public Works at (650) 522-7300.

*This public information piece has been used and published in a number of online articles.  Original source unknown.