Protecting pipes from grease, oil, and fats this holiday season

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO)-- Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is warning people about clogged sewers before Thanksgiving since many traditional holiday foods contain a lot of fat, oil, and grease.

CSU says that it can be a costly and messy problem when waste builds up in pipes if you dump everything down your sink after cooking.

All that oil and grease combined with other chemicals clumps up in sewers and blocks the pipes.

If the stoppage happens in a Colorado Springs Utilities line, it's not just your home that will be affected. CSU leaders say it can impact your neighbor's lines, too, and fixing it can cost thousands of dollars.

"Hot water behind grease. It'll keep it it'll keep it in solution for a few feet. But if it is, typically, it won't even make it out of your house. So, you know, when we're asking people not to do that, it's almost us asking you to help us keep the system clean, " says Dave Dunlap, a Colorado Springs Utilities Supervisor.

CSU says to avoid this blockage it's best to pour leftover grease into an empty container and throw it away once it is solid. They also suggest wiping dishes and scraping food scraps into the trash before washing them.

CSU also recommends checking your lines every two years to avoid build-up.