Public Works Department Asks People To Not Cause A 'Fatberg'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — As you get ready for your Thanksgiving meal, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works has a reminder.
The department is telling people to avoid "fatbergs" and other plumbing obstructions by keeping cooking fats, oils, and grease out of the drains.
Public Works says to make sure these things go "from the pan to the can." Instead of pouring grease down the kitchen sink, poor the cooking oil and grease into a metal container or can. Let it cool, then put it in the trash.
Before you wash your pots, pans, and dishes, wipe away the grease with a paper towel, dish towel, or a rag and throw it away.
The department says dish soaps and hot water are only temporary solutions. Grease will congeal when the water cools and the soap separates from the grease.
Last month, there was a fatberg clogging a city sewer near Lanvale and North Charles Streets. Crews needed to use a jet truck and special cutter heads to cut the grease and clear the blockage.
To learn more about the disposal of fats, oils, and grease, visit publicworks.baltimorecity.gov.
Here's a list of other things you should never put down a drain:
- Coffee grounds
- Egg shells
- Butter and margarine
- Dairy products
- Sauces and salad dressings
- Pasta or rice
- Flour
- Medicine
- Produce stickers
- Wipes
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