MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Water treatment workers in Montgomery County are urging people to properly dispose of cooking grease and wipes as sewer blockages increase during Lent.
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These clogs can lead to environmental damage and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in maintenance.
Western Regional Waste Water officials said the system experiences higher demand during Lent because of local fish fries.
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When grease is poured down drains, it clumps with other debris and clogs pumps, forcing the treatment center to spend $20,000 on grease blocks included in the budget.
Greg Hassler, supervisor at Western Regional Waste Water, said residents should change how they handle leftover oil from cooking.
“When you’re frying your fish, make sure you pour it into a coffee stand,” Hassler said. “Let it sit and then throw it away in your trash can rather than down your sink.”
If grease is not disposed of in the trash, it creates blockages throughout the system.
Hassler explained that these clogs create risks beyond the treatment plant.
“Blockages. Which is harmful to the environment,” Hassler said. “Because the sewer water can come out of the manhole.”
In addition to grease, workers are dealing with the impact of disposable wipes.
While many products are marketed as flushable, they do not dissolve in the sewer system and eventually reach the pumps.
“They clog our pumps,” Hassler said. “You can flush them, but they don’t dissolve and clog our pumps. Which is very maintenance-intensive for us.”
Clearing these clogs requires significant resources and taxpayer funding.
Hassler said the process involves extra manpower and specialized equipment.
“Yes, extra manpower,” Hassler said. “We got to get trucks, got to hire them out, and pay close to 2500 dollars each time to clean the sewers and our tanks.”
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