Pinellas: Utilities reminds customers to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease from holiday cooking
Prevent unnecessary holiday headaches for everyone

• Fats, oils and grease from holiday cooking can cause clogs in household plumbing and public wastewater systems
• Dispose of fats, oils and grease the proper way: in the trash
• Avoid the expensive holiday interruption for homeowners, plumbers and repair crews

Pinellas County Utilities wants to remind customers to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease (FOG) left over from holiday cooking. When FOG is poured down the drain it can cause clogs in household plumbing and public wastewater systems, resulting in expensive holiday call outs of plumbers for homeowners and expensive holiday call outs of utility crews for customers.

The best way to prevent these headaches year-round is to properly dispose of cooled fats, oils and grease by placing them in disposable containers and putting the containers in the trash. Another tip to reduce the possibility of clogs is to scrape solid food waste left behind from cooking with fats, oils and grease into the trash. Even the smallest amount of FOG builds up over time into a big problem and can create wastewater back-ups into homes and cause sanitary sewer overflows in the community.

By taking the extra step of properly disposing of fats, oils and grease in the trash, customers can have a happier holiday while protecting their homes, their wallets and our environment.

For more information about Pinellas County Utilities, visit http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities.