This holiday season, don’t give messy sewer clogs a seat at your dinner table
Sacramento, Calif.—It’s the time of year for family and friends to come together and enjoy a delicious meal, and after all that meal planning and food prep, the last thing anyone wants is a messy, costly sewer backup—a guaranteed way to ruin the holiday cheer.
Sewer blockages and backups caused by improper disposal of fats, oils and grease (F.O.G.) typically increase during the holidays, and with the passage of the organics waste recycling law earlier this year, food scraps and cooking oil must be carefully disposed of. That’s why the Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is reminding area residents to properly dispose of F.O.G. this holiday season with two simple steps:
- Can it. Once cooled, put hardened fats, oils and grease into a sturdy container—like a leftover soup can. Then, put the container in the garbage.
- Scrape it. Scrape all food scraps including fatty and greasy leftovers into the organics cart, NOT down the drain.
Pro tip! For used cooking oil—like what’s needed for deep-frying—check with your local waste service provider for proper disposal.
When F.O.G.-containing items from holiday cooking—like food scraps, gravies and oils—go down kitchen sink drains and garbage disposals, they can cause blockages in sewer pipes that lead to overflows. F.O.G. cools and solidifies, sticking to the sewer pipes. Over time, F.O.G. restricts sewage flow and can cause a sewer backup into customers’ homes and businesses. Sewer overflows are messy, costly and bad for the environment.
For large amounts of cooking oil—like what’s needed for deep-fried turkeys—pour the cooled liquid oil back into gallon jugs and make sure the lid is screwed on or taped shut. If your local waste service provider allows curbside pick-up of cooking oil, place your oil at the curb on your pick-up day according to the guidelines. If not, visit SacSewer.com/oil for a listing of local F.O.G. recycling sites.
For more tips on proper F.O.G. disposal, visit sacsewer.com/holidayFOG. Are you experiencing a sewer problem—like a slow drain or backup? Call SacSewer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—even on holidays—at (916) 875-6730. Learn more at sacsewer.com.
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The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is California’s second-largest sewage collection utility and provides service to about 1.2 million people in the Sacramento region. SacSewer owns and operates 4,600 miles of sewer pipes and more than 100 pump stations. We are responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the sewer system. Learn more at sacsewer.com.
CONTACT:
Paige Bedegrew, Public Information Manager
bedegrewp@sacsewer.com
(916) 875-1442 office | (916) 204-5864 cell
