WASHINGTON — As you get ready to cook your Thanksgiving feast, WSSC Water is reminding homeowners how to properly dispose of cooking grease. Officials caution that pouring grease down a sink drain can lead to a costly sewer backup when the cooking is done.
WSSC Water said there is an easy three-step process to properly removing grease.
- CAN IT: pour grease into an empty soup can;
- COOL IT: put the can in the freezer or refrigerator until it hardens*; and
- TOSS IT: once the can is full, throw it in the trash.
If you pour grease or food scraps, poultry skin, dressing or vegetable peels down the drain, it can harden and gel together, clogging your sewer pipes and creating a nasty and expensive sewage backup in your home, WSSC said.
Remember, pouring water down a drain won't fix a blockage. In fact, water may push the grease further inside the pipe, eventually hardening and causing a sewage overflow inside a home.
About 75% of all sewer overflows in WSSC Water’s system are due to blockages created by grease. Of those, 99% can be traced back to residential homes, townhomes and apartment buildings.
