Tips for Cleaner Pipes at Your Residence

You can help keep fats from clogging pipes by disposing of grease properly:

Never pour fats, oils, or grease down the drain.
Never flush fats, oils, or grease down the toilet.
Always put grease in the trash.

Raw sewage in the pipes will attach to fats, oils, and grease, creating impenetrable globs that back up sewer lines. These globs of fat and waste are difficult to disinfect at treatment plants and can allow disease-causing pathogens to enter nearby streams, lakes, and rivers.

Pour hot oils or grease into heat-proof containers, such as a tin can, and cool before putting it in the trash. You may even freeze the grease for easier disposal. Wipe greasy pans and dishes with paper towels before washing them and throw the paper towels into the trash to keep as much grease as possible out of your drains.

These tips can help prevent expensive plumbing repairs and sewage overflows. You can save yourself some repair bills, keep our rivers and streams clean. Put your pipes on a fat-free diet. Dispose of grease properly. View more information on Washington's Putting Your Pipes on a Fat-Free Diet.