SAN ANTONIO – The holiday season is a time to come together and cherish one another, and the last thing you want to think about is a sink that won’t drain or a toilet that won’t flush.
With all the extra baking and cooking this time of year, there may be more fats, oils and grease going down your drains.
When the grease hardens, it sticks to the inside of the pipes.
If you’re not sure how to properly dispose of grease, by following these steps from San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS), you can help prevent expensive sewage spills.
Step 1: Scrape grease solids directly into a lined trash can.
Step 2: Pour cooled liquid grease into a sealable container.
Step 3: Wipe remaining grease and debris with a paper towel.
Rule of thumb: scrape, pour, wipe and dispose of all three in your brown city trash bin.
The truth about grease
Examples of food items that can produce grease include dairy products like milk and ice cream, peanut butter, fried foods, salad dressing, lard, shortening for baking and even cake frosting.
Rule of thumb: If it contains fats of any kind, those fats can harden and clog your pipes.
Tip: Washing grease down the garbage disposal with hot water and soap won’t help either.
Wipe any remaining grease from pots and pans and place them into the trash with a paper towel.
Even the smallest amounts of grease should never be “rinsed off” with water.
SAWS performs routine maintenance on sewer lines citywide to keep things flowing.
For more information, visit saws.org/holidaygrease or call 210-704-SAWS.