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Why is Greenville Utilities so concerned about fats, oils and grease?
The improper disposal of fats, oils and grease causes sewage back-ups, sanitary sewer overflows and very costly repairs. Sewage spills must be eliminated because they pose a threat to public health and the environment.

Why are fats, oils and grease a problem?
The problem with fats, oils and grease is that they are not particularly compatible with any kind of piping. The fats, oils and greases from cooking oil, butter, meat drippings, shortening and sauces are only partially soluble in water. If disposed of using the drainage system, these substances congeal, coagulate, and stick to the drainage piping, forming tough deposits that grow each time such greasy waste enters the pipes. Whether these deposits form on the homeowner's piping or GUC’s sanitary sewer lines, the end result is a clogged pipe and usually an expensive repair. These blockages may also be accompanied by foul odors, significant property damage, and in some cases, environmental harm.

What is the difference between oil and grease?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are very different substances. Grease is the solid white residue left over in the cooled pan after frying meat such as bacon. Oil, such as vegetable oil, is the liquid left over from frying foods and never turns into a solid.

Why are oils that do not solidify a problem?
Many oils actually do solidify at lower temperatures and therefore clog the system. Even if they don't solidify they often bind to other forms of fats and grease. Some oils move through the system so quickly that they cannot be fully broken down in the wastewater treatment process, and therefore pass through to the river.

What are the common mistakes people make when disposing of fats, oils and grease?
When many people are finished cooking, they tend to dump left-over cooking grease, oils and food scraps down the sink and simply turn on the garbage disposal. Another common mistake is rinsing dishes in the sink with hot water to remove the grease residue left on plates. Hot water may serve only to push the potential clog further down the pipe.

What can I do to help the problem?
Avoid pouring fats, oils and grease and food scraps down the kitchen sink. Instead, pour the grease into a sealable container and dispose in the trash when the container is full. Large amounts of cooking oil may be recycled. Click here for details about recycling cooking oil. Before putting your dirty dishes in the sink, wipe off excess grease with a paper towel and throw the paper towel in the trash. Proper disposal prevents grease buildups from blocking sewer lines, stops sanitary sewer overflows into streets and storm drains and ultimately protects the quality of our water resources.

How should I dispose of fats, oils and grease?
Small quantities of fats, oils and grease should be left to cool and then collected it in a container (like a used soup can or mayonnaise jar) and thrown away in the trash. Smaller amounts of cooled grease, salad dressings and sauces can be absorbed with a paper towel and tossed into the garbage. You can recycle larger quantities of household cooking oils at one of Pitt County’s two locations, the transfer station off Allen Road and the Bells Fork site on County Home Road. Residents can take their used cooking oil (like you would use to deep fry food) to the site and instead of it being added to a landfill, or worse, in our sewer pipes, it will be recycled into biodiesel fuel, a non-toxic, biodegradable clean-burning alternative to petroleum diesel. Establishing this program was a collaborative effort between with Pitt County officials and GUC staff. Click here for more information.

What about using my garbage disposal, hot water or detergent to wash grease down the drain?
These methods won't prevent grease from building up in sewer pipes. Home garbage disposals do not remove grease from the plumbing system - they simply reduce the particle size of items that don't belong in the plumbing to start with. As the hot water cools down, the fats, oils and grease in the wastewater simply coagulate further downstream. Similarly, detergents that claim to dissolve grease may simply emulsify it until the temperature cools, resulting in blockages that occur further down the pipe.

Want to find out more about Greenville Utilities?
Click here for more frequently asked questions.