Department of Environmental Services
Wastewater Treatment Division
Have you ever had your wastewater drains plug up and back up into your home?
Disposing of fats, oils and grease down the kitchen sink can cause grease blockages. Over time grease builds up inside the pipes that connect your home to the sanitary sewer. This build up can cause a sanitary sewer over flow and can be detrimental to our environment.
These problems can be eliminated with your help. You can reduce the chance of a grease related blockage by following these simple steps.
1. Do not pour cooking grease down the sink.
2. Use paper towels to wipe off plates and kitchen utensils.
3. Scrape all food scraps into garbage can and not into a garbage disposal.
4. Pour cooking grease into a container to solidify and dispose of container in trashcan.
Garbage disposals use large amounts of water during operation. By eliminating the use of your garbage disposal, you can not only reduce the chances of a sewer line blockage, but also reduce your water and sewer bills.
We all live in an Environmentally Sensitive Area and by using these steps
we can help preserve our environment.
For Further Information Contact:
Melinda Ward, Wastewater Superintendent (336) 627-1009 ext. 130
MUNICIPAL SEWER USE ORDINANCE
Each year, there are more than 15,000 sewer overflows in North Carolina.
Many of these overflows are directly related to the improper disposal of oil and grease in kitchen drains.
Grease congeals on sewer pipes,
which causes wastewater to flow back into homes
and businesses or directly into waterways.
This is an actual sanitary sewer overflow caused by an oil and grease blockage.
