Pouring grease down your drain is a slippery slope to sewer problems
You may think that pouring fats, oils or grease down the kitchen sink is no big deal. A victimless crime, at worst.
However, Michael Mitchell has gotten up close and personal with the unpleasant consequences of grease accumulating in Ottawa’s sewers. He can tell you that when it comes to what you pour down the drain, out of sight does not mean out of mind.
It’s Michael’s job to ensure that wastewater from your home travels efficiently through Ottawa’s sewer system to the City’s wastewater treatment facility.
When congealed grease builds up and gets lodged somewhere along the City’s 3,000 kilometres of sewer pipes, Michael knows it’s time to clear his calendar.
How does grease buildup affect your ability to maintain City sewers?
Grease buildup extends a one-day job into multiple days. It means extra staffing, contractor time, and bringing in all sorts of specialized equipment.
Typically, we clean pipes using high-pressure water, but when these grease build-ups happen, we have to use nozzle attachments with chain-cutters that rotate at high speed to scrape grease from the pipe walls. It takes a long time, but it gets the job done.
Are there any impacts on the pipes themselves?
Absolutely. Clogs aren’t the only issue. People might not know this, but grease corrodes and degrades the walls of a pipe over time. There’s also damage to the sewer system itself. When you have to replace a corroded pipe, that comes at a cost to taxpayers.
Visit Drain-Tech.com to help prevent drain clogs due to grease and solids!
What’s the worst grease-related incident you’ve seen?
I’ve seen a 24-inch pipe that was completely blocked with grease – the blockage was over eight meters long. Over time, the grease had completely eaten away the bottom of the pipe.
We use a remote-controlled robotic camera with mud-tires, called a CCTV robot. When we sent it into the pipe to have a look, it fell right through the hole. We had to excavate to retrieve it, which was another big job. The CCTV camera has a seriously dirty job. It will emerge from a pipe totally covered in grease. Better him than me!
Read the full story at: https://ottawa.ca/en/news/pouring-grease-down-your-drain-slippery-slope-sewer-problems-1
FOG buildup turns Baltimore’s sewers into ‘Fatberg’
Cities
are constantly battling the FOG (fats,
oils, grease) buildup in their sewers. Baltimore recently found a huge buildup that they now are calling “fatberg”. The FOG was blocking up to 85% of the pipe in some areas. According to DPW officials, the fatberg removal will cost about $60,000. There are reports of a similar buildup in London’s sewer system that is taking weeks to breakdown. You can read the full story here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-fatberg-20170925-story.html
Cities are cracking down on restaurants and foodservice facilities to take control of their wastewater. Drain-Net helps facility prevent FOG buildup with a wide range of products. We offer all types of strainers, grease traps, and all-natural drain defender products that help breakdown FOG. Please visit our website or contact us today for help.
Top 10 Benefits for Preventative Plumbing at Your Restaurant
1. Fewer plumbing expenses because preventing drain clogs also mean less calls to a plumber for emergency repairs and drain line jetting.
2. Prevent wet floors which are a common cause for slip and fall accidents. Restaurant owners decrease their liability and increase employee safety.
3. Reduced risk of expensive repairs to piping and sewer lines which can result when bags, rags, large seeds, and other solid waste clog grease traps and pipes.
4. Increase efficiency of grease trap do to reduced debris.
5. Lower risk to city fines for violating wastewater discharge compliance standards
6. Reduce or eliminate drain flies which are attracted to the “gross stuff” that builds up in drains when not maintained.
7. Increased employee productivity when they don’t have to handle flooded floors and emergency drain backups.
8. Decreased frequency of grease trap servicing/pumping due to reduced solid waste in grease trap.
9. Eliminate the need for chemical pipe cleaners which can be very harmful to the environment and dangerous for employees to handle.
10. Reduce or eliminate repulsive odors that can occur when debris builds up inside of drain lines.
Custom Grease Trap Solutions
Do you need to a grease trap replacement?
All foodservice establishments need to have a grease trap or grease interceptor to keep fats, oils and grease (F.O.G.) from entering your sewer line and the public sewer line. Grease traps can be located inside or outside of your kitchen. They hold wastewater so that the grease can solidify and separate so that the grease can be disposed properly.
Krispy Kreme sued for $20 million for greasy waste
Did you know, as a restaurant or commercial kitchen, you can be held responsible for the grease that your exits your facility? In 2009, Fairfax County, Va., officials sued Krispy Kreme for $20 million, alleging that years of greasy waste from a donut plant had fouled up the sewer system. “The ‘excess fats, oils and grease’ have built up in the system, destroying iron pipes, mechanical pumps and other equipment and caused leaks, according to court filings.” You can read more of the article here.
Don’t let this happen to you! Drain-Net can equip your restaurant or commercial kitchen with the equipment you need to make you compliant with local ordinances and keep your sewer water grease-free. Drain-Net offers Grease Traps, Grease Monitors, Basket strainers, and much more.
