Aqua Pennsylvania is asking customers to support its mission to protect and sustain Earth’s most essential resource by preventing wastewater overflows and backups this holiday season.

Aqua President Marc Lucca said customers play a vital role in avoiding drainage pipe backups, so the company is asking customers to be sure to properly dispose of fat, oil, and grease. Aqua is offering customers the following tips to help ensure sewage pipes from homes and businesses remain clear:

• Never pour cooking grease down sink drains or into toilets.
• If you have leftover cooking grease, carefully pour the warm (not hot) grease into a metal can, wait for it to cool, and dispose of it in the trash.
• Keep strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids.
• Scrape food scraps and grease into a trash can.

Garbage disposals do not prevent fat, oil, and grease from entering plumbing systems, and these items will still cause clogs. Common cooking and baking ingredients like butter, lard, sauces, and dairy products can all contribute to blockages even when passed through a garbage disposal.

Customers should also avoid flushing any wipes down the toilet, even if they are labeled flushable. Wipes do not break down and are a leading cause of backups in home plumbing. The wipes also can contribute to larger blockages in wastewater systems.

“The incorrect disposal of fat, oil, and grease is a leading cause of sewer backups, especially during the holidays when our kitchens tend to be more active,” said Lucca. “Blocked pipes can cause a ripple effect throughout community wastewater systems, so each year, we like to take the opportunity to emphasize the significance of the role we all play in keeping our systems operating effectively.

“We wish all of our customers a happy holiday season.”

Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Click here for more information.

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