From Stafford County:
Clean water depends on the participation and support of the entire community, from the government, businesses, and schools to individual citizens. Water is essential to everyone, and we all play a role in wastewater treatment. Public support and participation is critical to keeping wastewater treatment facilities operating and maintenance costs down.
When cooking by-products like fats, oils, grease (FOG), are dumped down household drains, they cool and stick together causing expensive plumbing problems. FOG is found in meats, sauces, gravies, cooking oils, mayonnaise, ice cream, butter and many other compostable food waste.
The sanitary sewer system is designed to carry wastewater away from your home to the Wastewater Treatment Facilities where it is safely and effectively cleaned. As fats, oils and grease cool, they thicken and remain sticky, collecting all other items, such as wipes, that pass through your pipes creating one massive blockage and preventing the water from reaching the treatment facilities.
The clean-up of sewer backups and the additional maintenance required to reverse the damage caused by the improper disposal of these items leads to higher utility bills, costly home plumber visits and expensive pipe replacement. Sewer overflows and backups can also cause health hazards. Sewage is full of bacteria and contaminants that pose a serious threat to people and their pets.
