Back to News and Events Menu

NEWS RELEASE

November 18, 2008

Media Contact:

Cook the Turkey – Can the Grease

Sewage System Overflows Cause Environmental & Health Concerns

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and the Bureau of Utilities joined forces with five other area water and wastewater utilities today to share a very important message concerning fats, oils, and grease (FOG) that accompanies the holiday cooking season: “Cook the turkey—can the grease.”

“This is a problem we can help prevent—FOG causes half of all sanitary sewer overflows nationwide, leading to environmental degradation of our waterways, increased health risk for our citizens, and it’s expensive to clean up these overflows,” said Ulman. “If our residents can eliminate their disposal of FOG down their household drains, the number of these overflows can be reduced, resulting in the protection of our environment.”

Representatives from the Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County and Frederick County Departments of Public Works, the Charles County Department of Utilities, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission were in attendance at the County’s Bureau of Utilities Facility at 8270 Old Montgomery Road in Columbia.

The six agencies, with customers in seven counties, all face the same problem, grease blockages in their sewer lines. As of September, there were more than 500 building backups so far this year caused by grease blocked drains in the District of Columbia, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Prince Georges and Montgomery counties.

Residents are reminded of their important role during this holiday season in preventing plumbing problems both in their residents and in the associated sanitary sewer systems. Homeowners are reminded to:

• Never pour kitchen grease or oils down the drain.
• Fats, oils and grease can clog sewer pipes, leading to basement back-ups and sewer overflows that can damage your home and the environment.
• Pour cooled grease into a can (a soup can works great) and throw it in the trash.

For more information about Bureau of Utilities FOG Program, visit them online at http://www.howardcountymd.gov/dpw/u_fog.htm or contact them at (410) 313-4900.