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Collierville Public Services urges residents to ‘can the grease’ | Collierville Independent

Famous chefs know that a little bacon can add a delicious touch to an entree, and great southern cooks have special gifts for fried dishes.

However, our doctors tell us to limit these types of food in our diet. Just as a diet high in fat, oil, and grease (FOG) is bad for your arteries, it’s also bad for your sewers. Collierville Public Services wants to warn Collierville residents of the magnitude of damage that FOG can create in the sewer system.

FOG enters the sewer through kitchen sinks and comes from meat, various oils, butter/margarine, dairy products, sauces, and food scraps.

It’s a common misconception that a little dish soap and hot water will make the FOG magically disappear, or that grinding everything up in the garbage disposal makes it safe to go down the drain.

Soap and water and the garbage disposal will not get rid of FOG in a sewer pipe.

FOG cools very quickly within the underground pipes and starts to accumulate on the pipe walls.

As the pipe walls become coated, the grease and food scraps start sticking to themselves and the process accelerates.

At this point, it doesn’t take long for the sewer to become clogged and a backup to occur.

Water will find the easiest exit path and is usually the lowest drain in a house – many times it’s the toilet. Sewer backups have even been known to have enough force to push open sewer manhole lids out in the street!

Once the FOG buildup in the sewer system causes a backup, raw sewage is leaked into the home, the streets, and flowing into the storm drain system that leads to the creeks and streams.

Collierville Department Public Services says a FOG sewer blockage can be avoided by taking the steps to “Can the Grease!” Just let the fat, oil, or grease cool down and pour it into glass jars, tin cans, or any other suitable container. Then, toss it into the household trash. The trash will go to a sanitary landfill where the FOG will break down naturally and decompose.

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