The ACSA Reminds Everyone How to “Cease the Grease” This Thanksgiving
Everyone can take a few simple steps to keep Fats, Oils and Grease
(FOG) out of their pipes and our sewer system
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tim Brown
(434) 977-4511
tbrown@serviceauthority.org
Charlottesville, VA (November 22, 2021): With Thanksgiving fast approaching, the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) wants to remind everyone how to “cease the grease” this holiday cooking season and keep fats, oils, and grease – also known as FOG – out of their pipes and our sewer system.
Pouring fats, oils, and grease down the drain after we’re finished cooking is a common mistake. Many people believe the FOG will stay liquid as it moves through sewer pipes. What really happens is the fats, oils, and grease eventually cool and harden, blocking either a home’s pipes or pipes within the ACSA’s sewer system. The hardening of fats, oils, and grease is the number one cause of home sewer backups and pipe blockages that result in environmentally harmful sewer spills.
“Whatever you cook this holiday season, we need your help to keep fats, oils, and grease out of your pipes and our sewer system,” said Gary O’Connell, Executive Director of the ACSA. “Properly disposing of your FOG can help keep all of us from experiencing costly backups and harmful sewage spills.”
After you finish cooking this holiday season, please consider the following when handling your FOG. First, you may wish to reuse your grease, especially if you’re cooking bacon or game. Please allow it to cool and then store it in a sealed container in your refrigerator, and always blot your pans with a paper towel.
If you don’t want to reuse your grease, allow it to cool down and pour it into an empty vegetable or, say, cranberry sauce can. Cover it with aluminum foil and store it in an out-of-the-way place like your freezer or under the sink. Once it hardens, simply throw it away.
Deep frying turkeys create unique problems because of the amount of oil involved. If you purchase the oil separately in its own container, follow the directions on the box, which will describe how to allow the oil to cool before pouring it back into the container it came in and disposing of it at a local recycling location.
If you use oil you already have for your deep-fried turkey, you will need to find a sealable container to pour the grease into for disposal at a local recycling location. If you don’t have a sealable container to use, allow the oil to completely cool and harden then scoop it out of the fryer for disposal in your trashcan.
The public can take their cooking grease to the following disposal locations:
The McIntire Recycling Center
611 McIntire Road in Charlottesville
The Ivy Material Utilization Center
4576 Dick Woods Road in Charlottesville
We thank everyone in advance for helping keep fats, oils, and grease out of our sewer system.
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