Don't let your holiday feast be an obstruction: Hot or cold, there's no place for grease in sewers
Many people are planning a big Thanksgiving Day meal this week and that will likely mean an extra amount of cooking oil will be on hand. Disposal of left over grease and oil is a big problem for the City.
“Grease may disappear from your sink, but it builds up down the line. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year separating grease at the Water Pollution Control Plant. Even worse we have to send out crews to unclog sewer pipes, where grease builds up and blocks the pipe,” said Cheryl Cronin, Superintendent, Water Pollution Control.
The popular trend of using a turkey fryer on Thanksgiving can produce about 20 gallons of oil.
“Never pour grease or cooking oil down the drain or flush it down the toilet. That's the worst thing you can do. Instead, pour cooled oil back into the container it was purchased in. You can either reuse it or seal it properly and place it in the trash,” said Cronin.
Fort Wayne City Utilities uses a remote controlled camera to examine sewer pipes that are backed up or under performing. Everyday the cameras reveal pipes that are not operating at capacity because of grease buildup in neighborhoods all over the City.
Video of the City's camera maneuvering through the pipes and showing grease build up is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuCgFov8YEI. The footage shows the typical globs of grease that can build up in our sewers. It was recorded in March of 2008.