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How to prevent blocked drains Blocked sinks and drains are a real pain, inconvenient and can be expensive for you to sort out. Often, blockages are caused by fats and food scraps poured or washed down the kitchen sink. Fats, oils and greases in the Installation ’ s sewers are a major problem. Preventing this problem is easy and is a top priority for the Installation ’ s community including the housing area. An example of Fort Buchanan ’ s Best Management Practices is the recycling of these fats through a specialized collection service and holding it in stainless steel tanks near to the food service areas. Follow these tips in order to keep your drains in tip top condition: Do not pour fats from cooking foods, such as roasts or bacon down the sink. Even small amounts can cause problems Do not let food scraps, such as rice, peas and beans go down the drain Do not put fats and greases down your drains, toilets, or disposals Store waste grease, meat fats, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter, margarine, food craps, dairy products, and fatty sauces in containers for trash disposal. Use a sink strainer to prevent food scraps and other items from entering the drain. Reduce the use of highly saturated fats (those which are solid at room tem- perature) Before washing, pour or scrape fat and sauces (like gravy), from roasting trays, pans and plates into a heat resistant container. When cool put in the bin. Small amounts of grease left in pans or on plates can be wiped away with kitchen roll and thrown into the bin How Do Pipes Get Clogged? Grease is washed down drains in homes and restaurants during food preparation and cleaning. The grease comes from meat fat, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter, margarine, food scraps, dairy prod- ucts, and sauces. When washed down the drain, grease adheres to the sewer pipes in the streets and in your home. Much like eating greasy foods can clog your arteries, grease in drains can clog your pipes, with potentially costly results. Fats - what a pain in the drain! Think before you pour Much like eating greasy foods can clog your arteries, grease in drains can clog building sewer pipes, with potentially costly results. As a Fort Buchanan Best Management Practice, stainless steel tanks have been installed in food services areas (PX Food Court, Community Club and Golf Club) for collecting cooking grease. What Happens When Pipes Clog? Blocked sewer mains can force raw sewage into your home or neighboring homes, damaging the interiors and causing health concerns. Some blockages cause raw sewage to overflow into streams, storm ditches, streets, yards, and other areas. Contact with untreated wastewaters can cause infec- tion and disease. In addition, this kind of incident can dam- age the environment and subject the Installation to legal action and fines. This can also increase DPW maintenance costs an unnecessary burden on the Installation budget. U.S. ARMY GARRISON FORT BUCHANAN DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC WORKS, ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION Phone: 787-707-3575/3572/3966 Fax 787-707-3570 14 FEB, SEMS Rev, CDl #81 For additional information, visit the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division at Fort Buchanan Internet Site; http://www.buchanan.army.mil/dpw/home.html or access; http://www.slideshare.net/FortBuchananEnvironment Scan it!
