GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cooking is the focus, but don't let the meal cost you big bucks with a plumbing issue or sewage backup.
Last year, fats, oil, and grease caused nearly 15% of blockages and overflows. The biggest cause? People putting cooking grease down the drain.
Gale Ketteler the Utilities Public Information Officer with Winston-Salem Forsyth County Utilities says whether it's turkey grease, bacon grease, or whatever, never put it down the drain.
"It clogs up the pipes. It may not cause you a problem that day, but it will eventually cause an issue, especially if you live in an apartment complex and many people share those pipes," said Gale Ketteler, Utilities Public Information Officer with Winston-Salem Forsyth County Utilities.
CAN YOU RUN HOT WATER TO HELP LIQUIFY THE GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN?
It's a common thing to do, but Gale says running hot water down the drain does not help and neither does adding dish soap.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE GREASE?
You can it, really. She says you need to let the grease cool down in the pan first. Don't try to put it in another container while it's hot or even warm. Once the grease is cool, put it in a can and throw it out.
According to the WS website, 'Everyone plays a part in preventing sewer overflows in their home or business. And everyone PAYs when there is a sewer backup! The NC Department of Environmental Quality fines utilities thousands of dollars every year for sanitary sewer overflows.'
ARE FLUSHABLE WIPES SAFE TO FLUSH?
The short answer is, no. Again, the city says:
No matter what the package says, you should never flush wipes of any kind. They do not disintegrate and caused more than 15% of local sewage backups in the past year. Throw them in the trash to avoid overflowing sewage in your home and expensive damage to wastewater system pumps.