With Thanksgiving just days away, Daniel Ver Linden, a veteran member of the county's Public Works Department, gave a detailed tour of the threat posed to sewer systems by fats, oils and greases being flushed down the drain.
In a lot just off Highway 101 and Woodside Road, Daniel Ver Linden pried open a 100-pound lid that concealed a dark, silent, brick-lined underground vault. And though it's not supposed to be silent, Ver Linden caught a glimpse with a flashlight of a grayish mass running the length of the vault and then disappearing down a tube beyond the reach of the light.
“We don’t want to see that,” Ver Linden said. “Never.”
“It” is a layer of solidified fat, oil and grease on running water, something like a mountain stream running under snow bridges; only this stream is sewage and the snow bridges are remnants of deep fryers and greasy foods.
“It’s a liquid when you pour it down the drain,” Ver Linden said, “but when it comes into contact with cold water, it hardens and eventually clogs the system and that causes SSOs (sanitary sewer overflows), which means wastewater backs up into streets, sinks and bathtubs.
To help residents enjoy a clog-free vacation (and avoid costly plumber visits), law enforcement officials have offered some simple tips on how to avoid unsightly messes and keep pipes clear.
First thing: detect the problem
Oils and fats (known as FOG in the waste industry) that come from meats, cooking oil, lard, shortening, butter and margarine, dairy products and more, cool and adhere to the pipe walls, over time, the buildup causes layers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that just under half of system overflows are caused by grease from homes and businesses.
Keep your drain free of grease. It is best to scrape those fats from their baking pans or pans, package them, cool them, and throw them in the trash, compost them, or recycle them if possible.
What is the solution?
Never pour hot oil or grease down the sink. In addition to oil and grease, FOG includes anything greasy such as meat, lard, shortening, butter, margarine, dairy products, frosting, dressings or gravy.
Food scraps containing FOG should be placed in the green (or organic) compost collection bin or, in the absence of a compost bin, in the trash.
Remove food scraps from plates, pots, pans, and fryers and put them in a kitchen bucket or other container before washing dishes. Use paper towels to wipe up excess FOG and throw those into the bucket/container as well. Empty what you've collected in the kitchen into your green compost bin. Skip the garbage disposal and use a strainer in the sink to keep food scraps out of the drain.
“We always try to cover this topic now,” said Teresa Montgomery, sustainability manager for South San Francisco Scavenger Co., which recently published and mailed to clients a newsletter that included the headline: Deep-Frying a Turkey?
To encourage proper disposal, South San Francisco Scavenger Co. accepts used cooking oil for $2 per gallon at the Blue Line transfer station. The usual $38 minimum charge for entering the Blue Line is waived.
If you are interested in this, please check with your local waste hauler or transfer station for specific rates and policies.
Remember: only urine, feces and toilet paper are flushed. Wet wipes clog the pipes.
“You can’t believe the things we find in our sewers. There are toothbrushes, combs, rubber gloves, basically anything that people can flush down the toilet,” along with cell phones, batteries and more, Ver Linden said. “It all ends up clogging up the pipe along with all the grease and everything.”
It's important to throw out items like expired dairy products, sunscreen, lotions, and cosmetics. Wet sanitary wipes don't break down in the sewer system like toilet paper does. Instead, they combine with other wipes, hair, dental floss, rags, and anything else someone has flushed (along with fats and oils) to create super blockages.
Eventually, the cold water freezes the fog, causing it to build up in pipes and sewer laterals. And that translates into higher maintenance and sewer fees.
The County operates 10 sewer districts in unincorporated areas and some areas of incorporated cities. Call 650-363-4100 if you live in the 10 sewer districts and are experiencing or witnessing a sewer backup.
Call your city's public works department or sewer maintenance district if you live outside the unincorporated area.
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