Emptying cooking grease and other oils down kitchen sinks can be tough on household plumbing and even damage sewer lines, and utility companies are urging people Thursday to find alternate ways of getting rid of Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
Cooking dish and dinner plate slop can permanently damage dishwashers and sinks, causing sewage lines to rupture, leading to spills in the street that are expensive to repair, according to the the Perris, California-based Eastern Municipal Water District.
The agency recommended that fats, oils and grease be poured into metal containers or cans and tossed into trash bins. Customers were additionally urged to clear the damaging substances from pots, pans and dishes before washing them in the sink, and to deposit food scraps in trash receptacles -- not shove them down the sink.
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The EMWD also asked customers not to put egg shells, coffee grounds and non-organic materials into drains because they, too, can cause damage.
More information on proper disposal is available here.
