With Thanksgiving just days away, Daniel Ver Linden, a veteran member of the county's Department of Public Works, gave a detailed tour of the threat posed to sewage systems by grease, grease and oils flushed down the drain.
On a lot just off Highway 101 and Woodside Road, Daniel Ver Linden opened a 100-pound lid that hid a dark, silent, brick-lined underground vault. And, although he is not supposed to be silent, Ver Linden managed to see with a flashlight how a grayish mass ran the length of the vault and then disappeared through a tube beyond the reach of the light.
“We don't want to see that,” Ver Linden said. "Never".
?That? It is a layer of solidified fat, oil and grease on top of running water, something like a mountain stream running under snow bridges; Only this stream is sewage and the snow bridges are leftovers from fryers and greasy meals.
“It's a liquid when it's poured 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 SSO (sanitary sewer overflows), which means the waters Wastewater returns to the streets, sinks and bathtubs.
To help residents enjoy a clog-free vacation (and avoid costly visits from the plumber), the relevant authorities have offered some simple tips on how to avoid unsightly messes and keep pipes clean.
First thing: detect the problem
Oils and greases (known as FOG in the waste industry) from meats, cooking oil, lard, shortening, butter and margarine, dairy products and more cool and stick to the walls of the food. pipe, over time, buildup causes layering.
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 fat, FOG includes anything fatty such as meat, lard, shortening, butter, margarine, dairy products, frosting, dressings, or sauce.
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 debris 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 customers a newsletter that included the headline: Frying a Turkey?
To encourage proper disposal, South San Francisco Scavenger Co. accepts used cooking oil for $2 a gallon at the Blue Line transfer station. The usual $38 minimum charge for entering the Blue Line is waived.
If you're interested, check with your local waste hauler or transfer station for specific rates and policies.
Remember: only urine, feces and toilet paper are discarded. Wet wipes clog pipes.
“You can't believe the things we found 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 the pipe along with all the grease and everything.”
It is important to throw away products such as: expired dairy products, sunscreen, lotions and cosmetics. Wet sanitary wipes do not break down in the sewage system like toilet paper does. Instead, they combine with other wipes, hair, dental floss, rags, and anything else someone has thrown away (along with greases and oils) to create super blockages.
Eventually, the cold water freezes the fog, causing it to build up in the pipes and on the sides of the sewer. And that translates into higher maintenance and sewer fees.
The county operates 10 sewer districts in unincorporated areas and some incorporated city areas. 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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