Grease gumming up the reclamation facility in Akron. Photo: Stephanie York, City of Akron
You’ve probably been told by your parents, plumbers, and Home Ec teacher that you shouldn’t pour grease and oils down the drain. These substances might start as liquids at the drain, but quickly harden, either in your pipes restricting flow and clogging, or clumps that form fatbergs. Now what happens when instead of pouring a few tablespoons of oil down your sink, you pour thousands of gallons of oil directly into the sewers? What happens is a crippled treatment plant, emergency government spending, and some very angry cops. Below are three stories about illegal grease dumping, and what you should take away from them. [Read more…]
One can only imagine what the sewer system beneath them might be holding, and it does not bring any pleasant pictures to mind. Most probably imagine a dark, damp, dingy tunnel filled with waste and rats the size of a household pet. But what is really lurking under there? Most wouldn’t picture a grease blockage the size of a large bus accumulating inside a sewer drain. 