Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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Wednesday, May 28, 2003 |
Proper disposal of fats, oils and greases can prevent sewer backupsBy MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Without proper disposal of fats, oils and greases, things can quickly go down the drain in your area. Larry Turner, general manager of the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority, spoke about the FOG program at last week's meeting. FOG stands for Fats, Oils and Greases, and improper disposal can lead to buildup in pipes and sewers causing backups and overflows of the system. This is not only unsanitary and bad for the environment, but it can be expensive and the cost for cleanup goes back to the customers. Fats, oils and greases are natural by-products of cooking and food preparation. Its sources are food scraps, meat fats, dairy products, cooking oil, lard, salad dressings and more. To prevent buildup, citizens are asked to never pour FOG down the sink, drain or disposal; pour oil and grease into a disposable container, like a coffee can, and throw the container away when full; scrape food scraps and grease into the trash before rinsing cookware and utensils and use cool water to rinse dishes. Hot water will temporarily get rid of the grease but it will re-congeal in the pipes when it cools. Turner stated that there are a few backup problems a year, but also said that the main source of FOG problems is improper disposal from restaurants. He showed pictures of sewer pipes covered in grease and said that companies who are hired to dispose of grease will sometimes dump their grease illegally in manholes. These people are almost never caught red-handed, so perhaps citizens can be more vigilant. There will undoubtedly be a lot of greasy and fatty foods cooked this summer, and if everyone follows these simple rules and keeps a closer on eye on their disposal techniques, there should be fewer problems.
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