The holiday season is a special time for giving and receiving gifts from family and friends. Some gifts make us very happy, while others might leave us a bit confused or frustrated. This year, there’s one gift that everyone can enjoy: a functioning sewer system. To make sure this gift stays functioning for everyone, we need to keep fats, oils, and grease out of all drains.
When people pour fats, oils, and grease down the drain, they can solidify and create costly problems for our shared sewer system. We can all take simple steps to help protect our sewer pipes:
- After cooking, collect any grease in a container and throw it in the garbage. Don’t pour grease, fats, or oils down the sink drain, as this can cause plumbing problems.
- For food scraps, put them in waste containers or garbage bags so your regular trash service can pick them up. You can also create a compost pile for your food scraps. Remember, the sewer system is not the right place for food scraps.
- In the bathroom, make sure to have a wastebasket for trash. Items like disposable diapers, disinfectant wipes, and personal hygiene products should not go down the toilet or into the sewer system. It’s important not to use the toilet as a trash can.
By following these steps, we can all work together to protect our sewer pipes.
To learn more about how you can help protect our shared sewer system, please visit raleighnc.gov and search for “Sanitary Sewer Overflows.”