Keep Your Pipes Clean of Fats, Oil and Grease

When fats, oil and grease are poured down the drain, they cling to pipe walls and solidify. Improper disposal of these cooking substances is a common cause of drain backups and sewer blockages, often leading to costly plumbing repairs.

Virginia Beach Public Utilities urges at-home chefs to collect and dispose of these drain-clogging substances to avoid clogging our pipes. One way to do this is by finding an empty, heat-safe container, such as a soup can. Once cooking oils have cooled, pour them into the container, cover it securely with a grease can lid, and store in the freezer. Once solidified, toss the can into the trash and save the lid for your next culinary adventure.

Another way to ensure fats, oil and grease do not make it down your drain is to avoid using your garbage disposal and opt for a sink strainer instead. Sink strainers catch food scraps that can be disposed of in the trash before they head down the drain. 

Don’t have a grease can lid or sink strainer? We’ve got you covered! 

FREE grease can lids, sink strainers and educational materials are now available at all Virginia Beach Public Library branches and the Public Utilities Business Office at 2809 S Lynnhaven Road, Suite 250, while supplies last.

This Thanksgiving, don’t be a turkey by ruining your holiday with a plumbing emergency. Dispose of large amounts of used cooking oil (five gallons or less), such as from frying a turkey, by taking it to the Virginia Beach Landfill and Resource Recovery Center located at 1989 Jake Sears Road. The facility is normally open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. It will reopen on Saturday, Nov. 30. Proof of residency is required for disposal at the landfill.  

Myths about Fats, Oil and Grease

• MYTH: It’s OK to pour grease down the drain, as long as I use the garbage disposal.  
  FACT: The garbage disposal only grinds up items before passing them into your sewer pipes. The fats, oil and grease can still cling to your pipes. 
• MYTH: It’s OK to pour grease down the drain, as long as I chase it down with dish soap.
  FACT: It’s true that soap breaks up grease. You see it happen every time you wash your dishes. But what you don’t see is what happens in your sewer pipes. Eventually, soap loses its effectiveness, and grease solidifies and congeals on pipe walls. 
• MYTH: It’s OK to pour grease down the drain, as long as I run hot water. 
  FACT: This myth is similar in logic to chasing grease down the drain with soap. Eventually, the water will cool, and the grease will solidify. 

For more information about the best ways to dispose of fats, oil, and grease, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/FOG.