Grease and water don't mix….especially in a sewer system!! Having a sewer back-up in your home or business can be a troublesome event! How can customers prevent these from happening? Take care to properly dispose of cooking grease. Grease is the number #1 cause of sewer blockages in homes.
How does grease get into the sewer system?
From household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.
What can you do to prevent sewer overflows caused by grease?
Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets. (Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of plumbing systems. Products, such as detergents, that claim to dissolve grease may cause problems for someone else down the line.)Scrape grease and food scraps into a can, disposable container, or ziplock bag and dispose of it with the garbage. Insert baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids and empty them into the trash. Other things you can do to prevent sewer blockages Don't put solids down the toilet or drain. Don't flush rags or cloth/disposable diapers. These items are commonly found in sewer blockages.
A manhole is not a trashcan! Never lift a manhole cover! Summerville Sewer crews often find items like buckets, cinder blocks, limbs, construction materials and other large pieces of garbage that have been disposed of in manholes. These items can very quickly cause blockages, which can result in the sewer backing up in your home or your neighbor's home!
If you see someone putting improper materials in the sewage system or down manholes, please call The City of Summerville immediately at (706) 859-0918. The next sewer backup could be in YOUR home or business!
