From NORTHWESTERN WATER & SEWER DISTRICT
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District (The District) reminds everyone to be mindful of what goes down the drain while preparing meals this holiday season.
Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) can solidify and cause blockages in your pipes, leading to backups, clogging your plumbing, damaging wastewater treatment systems, and causing environmental issues.
The District advises that when it comes to fats, oils, and grease, you should: “Can it, cool it, and throw it away!”
FOG comes from meats, butter and margarine, lard, food scraps, sauces, salad dressings, dairy products, and cooking oil. When FOG is warm, it’s easy to pour down the drain, but as it cools, it hardens and can cause sewer pipes to clog. FOG can lead to a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) where raw sewage can leak into your home, lawn, neighborhood, and streets, and harm public infrastructure. To prevent this common problem, here are some simple steps we can all take:
Allow fat, oils, and grease to cool and solidify in an aluminum can, then dispose of it in your garbage.
Use a paper towel to wipe off greasy pans and dishes to remove build-up before rinsing or placing them in the dishwasher.
Through December, The District is giving away free lids to cover canned grease at its main office, 12560 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Stop by during regular business hours, weekdays, 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit The District’s website at www.nwwsd.org.
Remember, when it comes to fats, oils, and grease, can it, cool it, and throw it away!
