This Thanksgiving, don’t feed your pipes: keep grease out of the drain

News Release

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re reminding residents to dispose of fats, oils and grease (FOG) properly. Not only will your own home’s plumbing thank you by keeping those pipes flowing smoothly, but so will the City’s wastewater and sewer systems.

Pouring cooking fats and grease down the drain is the leading cause of sewer blockages and overflows in Kelowna. FOG also creates serious issues for the City’s wastewater collection system by clogging up pipes and clinging to equipment in sewer lift systems.

When disposing FOG at any time of the year, residents should:

• Use a strainer or drain basket to catch solids and food scraps before they enter the pipes.
• Pour fully cooled cooking grease into a large can with a lid. To reuse the can, line it with a cooking bag.
• Once the grease has cooled and solidified, place the sealed can in the trash.
• Bring up to two 20 litre pails of used cooking oil for recycling in a receptacle at the Glenmore Landfill. Commercial quantities of used cooking oil are not accepted.

Don’t forget that other foods like ice cream and mayonnaise contain oils and should always be disposed of in the trash.

To avoid a clog this weekend and year-round, keep fats, oils and grease out of the sink.

For more information, visit kelowna.ca/wastewater.