Can the Grease this Holiday Season

Officials at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) are reminding residents, especially those in charge of cooking this holiday season, to can the grease.

According to a WSSC news release, it’s important not to dump grease down the drain:

• Fats, oils and grease (FOG) that go down the drain will eventually harden inside sewer pipes.
• FOG can lead to costly and messy basement back-ups and sewer overflows which are bad for the environment.
• More than 40% of all sewer overflows nationwide are caused by grease.

Even if you run hot water after dumping grease down the drain, WSSC officials said the grease will eventually cool and accumulate inside your pipes or our pipes. Over a period of time, the build-up of hardened grease restricts the flow of wastewater and causes blockages that may result in expensive basement backups or overflowing manholes. The wastewater that overflows can get into creeks and streams that ultimately lead to the Chesapeake Bay, posing a health and environmental hazard.

Cooks are encouraged to pour cooled grease into a can (a soup can works great) and throw it in the trash.

You can can email WSSC at canthegrease@wsscwater.com and officials will send you a rubber lid you can use to can your grease.

You can also visit www.wsscwater.com/grease to see videos and to find more information on keeping your pipes free from harmful blockages.

About Sonya Burke

Sonya Burke is the Multimedia Manager at Montgomery Community Media (MCM). You can email story ideas at sburke@mymcmedia.org or reach her on Twitter @SonyaNBurke.

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