BWSC Launches FOG Campaign

A Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) Campaign, sponsored by Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) seeks to raise awareness of Boston residents for the importance of keeping cooking fats out of household drains that lead directly to the water system, during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Commission has already given how well over 3,000 can lids and there is till time for Boston residents to obtain grease lids by calling 617-989-7599 or by going online at www.bwsc.org.

Last year, the Fats, Oils and Grease Campaign helped to stop a build up in drains, which eventually could have caused both public and private sanitary sewer overflows.

These overflows introduce untreated wastewater into the environment and back up raw sewage into residential plumbing.

BWSC noted, if every Boston resident who received a grease late kit last year place one tablespoon of FOG each day into a can or jar, over 15.5 gallons of FOG would be kept out of Boston’s sewerage system daily, about 5,700 gallons annually.

FOG Facts:

• Once down a drain, cooling liquid FOG congeals into a solid mass, decreasing pipe capacity and restricting flow.
• Meat, other greasy food scraps and dairy products ground up the garbage disposal also become FOG and accumulates and pipes.
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported to Congress that FOG is responsible for 47% of all reported sewer blockages in the country.
• There are over 30 types of water-borne diseases that the public can be exposed to coming into contact with sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).
• SSOs in public places often flow into storm drains, polluting our waterways.
• FOG can be costly for Boston homeowners, since owners are responsible for maintenance and repair of the sewer (sewer lateral) running from the basement to the BWSC’s sewer main in the street.
• Boston residents can audit grease lives from BWSC anytime of the year, by calling 617-989-7599, or by going online to www.bwsc.org. Will