As the holiday season rolls in with its flurry of feasts and family gatherings, the City of Janesville is cautioning residents about the potential plumbing perils associated with festive cooking. A public service announcement from the Janesville Water Utility underscores the risk that fats, oils, and grease (F.O.G.) pose when they are poured down household drains, according to the City of Janesville's website.
These byproducts of holiday ham, butter-laden baked goods, and rich sauces may seem harmless in liquid form, but they can quickly solidify in pipes, leading to a sludgy disaster both in private plumbing and the municipal sewer system. "The resulting clogs can cause sewer backups, especially in cold weather," notes the Janesville Water Utility, in a statement designed to remind folks to stay vigilant about their waste disposal habits this season.
Intending to avoid the mess and expense of a backup, the utility company is pushing for preventive measures. They're urging residents to be mindful and dispose of their cooking remnants properly. After cooking, homeowners are advised to decant pan drippings into a receptacle, let it cool, then toss the solidified grease into the trash rather than down the drain.
According to an announcement on the City of Janesville's website, this practice not only guards against the inconvenience of clogged pipes but also spares property owners and the city alike from the financial strain of cleanup operations. "After a sanitary sewer backup, the cleanup can be costly to homeowners, property owners, and the City," the Utility warns, illuminating the importance of such preventative measures during the holiday season.
