Keep your holidays happy by never pouring grease down the drain

City of San Diego reminds the public to avoid sewage blockages that
can result in expensive repairs and cause sewer spills

SAN DIEGO – The holidays are a time for joyful festivities, so why ruin the season with a clogged sewer line? The City of San Diego reminds residents to never pour fats, oils and grease down the drain.

Many San Diegans may be doing a lot of extra cooking at home during the holiday season. It’s important to remember that cooking grease can coat sewer pipelines leading to blockages, messy spills and the need for costly repairs.

In addition to preventing sewer problems at your home and your neighborhood, proper disposal of these substances is also better for our environment. The spilled sewage can eventually reach San Diego’s bays, rivers and beaches, causing unsafe conditions and temporary closures.

“You can save yourself from expensive plumbing repairs by always remembering to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease,” said Juan Guerreiro, Director of the City’s Public Utilities Department. “Keeping them out of your drains and sewer lines can protect both your home and the environment.”

Public Utilities Department crews have had to respond to more than 25 sewer spills throughout the city so far this year. Five of these spills were the result of fats, oils and grease that had clogged a pipeline and could have been prevented.

Following a few simple steps can help prevent costly sewer spills:

• Never pour fats, oils or grease down the sink drain or garbage disposal. Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system.
• Pour small amounts of cooled cooking oil (this includes salad dressing, frying oil and bacon fat) into a non-recyclable package or container, such as an old milk carton, and dispose of it in the garbage.
• Wipe dishes and pots that are coated with greasy leftovers with a disposable towel prior to washing or placing them in the dishwasher.
• Put strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps such as meat trimmings and other solids and then empty them in the trash, not the garbage disposal.
• Keep roots out of sewer pipelines by planting trees and bushes away from your home’s lateral connection to the sewer line.

To report a sewer spill, call the Public Utilities emergency hotline at 619-515-3525. For additional information about preventing sewer spills, visit the City’s website at sandiego.gov/public-utilities/sewer-spill-reduction.

(City of San Diego Release)