The City is issuing a reminder to all residents to never wash cooking grease, fats or oils down the drains, which could cause blockages within your home plumbing and lead to flooding.
The City is issuing a reminder to all residents to never wash cooking grease, fats or oils down the drains, which could cause blockages within your home plumbing and lead to flooding.
Doing so causes grease buildups within the sewer system each year, which then must be removed to prevent them from clogging and flooding streets or homes, according to staff at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
“When grease is washed down the drain, it hardens and attaches to the walls of the plumbing. Over time, this buildup causes blockages within the sanitary sewers,” says WWTP supervisor Joel Mertz. “It can also cause clogs, odours or sewer backups at your home.”
Residents should also be aware that wet wipes advertised as being “flushable” should never be flushed. These wipes do not break down in water and plug pumps or bind with grease within the sewer lines.
In fact, the only items that should ever be flushed down the toilet are the 3 P’s: pee, poo and toilet paper.
Here is a list of the “unflushables,” which should never be washed down toilets or drains:
How to prevent a problem
About the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
Penticton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant processes all the water that leaves our homes or businesses from sinks, tubs, drains and toilets. It began operation in 1948 and today is one of the most advanced wastewater treatment plants in North America, treating an average of 12 million litres of water each day.
The facility offers free tours to community groups and school classes who are interesting in learning more about the wastewater treatment process. To learn more or book your tour, visit penticton.ca/wastewater.