Grateful Without A Drain Full

Trap the cooking grease—TUD graphic

Sonora, CA —  As Thanksgiving holiday dinner preparations pick up across the Mother Lode, so does the propensity for plugged up pipes and other costly, avoidable plumbing emergencies.

Local water and waste management companies warn that the key culprits, improper disposal of waste fats and garbage, not only put a potential damper on holiday gatherings, they can create sewer blockages and backups that might require hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of repair and clean up work.

Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD), Jamestown Sanitary District, Twain Harte Community Services District, Tuolumne City Sanitary District and Tuolumne County Solid Waste Department collectively share the following tips:

• Avoid pouring fats or vegetable cooking oils down the drain because liquid fats will solidify in the pipes and create clogs
• After your cooking grease has cooled, scrape it into a container with a tight-fitting lid and allow it to solidify it in the refrigerator before putting it in the trash
• Guard against garbage disposal back ups by never challenging your system with hard to grind items, such as poultry skin, egg shells, carrots, celery, pumpkin pulp, potato skins, banana peels or pasta

For more information, visit the TUD website by clicking here