The next time you’re cleaning up after dinner, pay attention to what’s going down the drain. Sure, we all know not to dump bacon grease. But there are several other foods that can also cause serious plumbing problems and harm the environment.
Fats, oils, and grease—or FOG—is any food waste that should not go down the drain. This includes cooking oil, pan drippings, gravy, bacon grease, lard, shortening, butter, margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, creams, and sauces. Even non-greasy food scraps can clog your home’s wastewater lines, so you should avoid putting food of any kind down your drain.
Food buildup restricts the flow in pipes and can cause untreated wastewater to back up into homes and businesses, resulting in high costs for cleanup and restoration. In extreme cases, manholes can overflow in neighborhoods and contaminate local waters, including drinking water.
