As temperatures drop in Houston each year, the city faces an alarming increase in sanitary sewer overflows caused by blockages caused by grease, oils and fats. While Houston Public Works stays busy throughout the holiday season helping to resolve these problems, take the following steps to protect your pipes.
How to Protect Your Pipes this Holiday Season
Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod placeat.
LOREM IPSUM SIT
DISCOVER
Estimates are that a whopping 70% of overflows in Houston are caused by blockages caused by from grease and wipes. These overflows nearly double during holiday months.
Two primary factors contribute to “sanitary sewer overflows” (SSO). The first is a surge in cooking during the holiday season, and the second is the tendency of grease to solidify swiftly in pipes during colder weather, even a small amount of grease poured down drains can cause significant harm to our wastewater collection system.
When grease solidifies and clogs pipes, wastewater can back up into the environment, residences, or businesses, posing severe environmental and health risks.
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
The Issue Facing Houston Pipes
Lorem ipsum dolor consctp sit amet
Recognizing the gravity of the issue, Houston Public Works (HPW) has implemented a multifaceted strategy to address and prevent sewer overflows. Here are a few of the actions taking place!
Preventative Maintenance: HPW is actively engaged in replacing and repairing wastewater lines to stop SSOs before they occur.
Preventative Cleaning Schedule: HPW generates a pipe cleaning and inspection plan based on analytical tools that incorporate historical data and previous pipe inspections to target problematic areas and mitigate SSOs.
Intelligent Manhole Monitors: These monitors send alerts when the water level in a manhole begins to rise unexpectedly, indicating a blockage forming. This allows a rapid response from the stoppage team to clear blockages and stop many SSOs before they occur.
Outreach and Education: The Protect Our Pipes campaign includes community outreach, educational resources, engagement with students, advertising, and public relations efforts to raise awareness about SSO prevention.
Interdepartmental Coordination: The Houston Health Department regularly inspects commercial grease generators to ensure proper maintenance of grease interceptors and responds to overflow complaints, even taking enforcement actions when necessary.
What the City Is Doing to Solve These Problems
You and households across Houston play a crucial role in preventing SSOs.
#1 Keep harmful items out: When cooking, pour leftover grease into a heat-resistant container, allow it to cool down, then toss it in the trash. In the bathroom, only flush the 3P’s, which are Pee, Poo, and Toilet Paper. Clogs from wipes, rags, and any item other than toilet paper trap grease and cause overflows. This will help reduce the risk of blockages for your household and the entire city.
#2 Use a sink strainer: The garbage disposal only grinds up items before passing them into sewer pipes, which allows the remaining fats, oils, and grease to cling to pipe walls. When these items build up in your sink strainer, dispose of them properly in the trash instead.
#3 Use a paper towel or scraper: Wipe grease from utensils, plates, and cookware before washing them in the sink or dishwasher. The best method is to use paper towels and/or scrapers, then throw the paper towels away afterward.
3 Simple Ways You Can Help
By collectively implementing these measures, residents can contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment, alleviate strain on city resources, and reduce the impact of SSOs on public health and finances.
Remember to Do Your Part
Learn More
By StoryStudio on November 20, 2023
Grease & Wipes Clog Pipes!
Keep these items out of toilets and drains
Sponsored by Houston Public Works
Insert your client's headline here to engage potential clients
Estimates are that a whopping 70% of overflows in Houston are caused by blockages caused by from grease and wipes. These overflows nearly double during holiday months.
Learn More
HPW Crew in Action
Diligently replacing and repairing wastewater lines
Sponsored by Houston Public Works
Sanitary sewer overflows are bad for your health and the environment. From a health hazard standpoint, SSOs contain raw sewage that can harbor bacteria, viruses and molds which can cause serious illnesses. Environmental consequences include hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, habitat degradation, floating debris, and threats to endangered species.
The economic toll on the city is significant, resulting in financial and time-intensive burdens on taxpayers.
HPW Crew
in Action
Diligently replacing and repairing wastewater lines
Please revisit on a desktop device!
This experience is not yet optimized for your mobile screen.
Two primary factors contribute to “sanitary sewer overflows” (SSO). The first is a surge in cooking during the holiday season, and the second is the tendency of grease to solidify swiftly in pipes during colder weather, even a small amount of grease poured down drains can cause significant harm to our wastewater collection system.
When grease solidifies and clogs pipes, wastewater can back up into the environment, residences, or businesses, posing severe environmental and health risks.
You and households across Houston play a crucial role in preventing SSOs.
#1 Keep harmful items out: When cooking, pour leftover grease into a heat-resistant container, allow it to cool down, then toss it in the trash. In the bathroom, only flush the 3P’s, which are Pee, Poo, and Toilet Paper. Clogs from wipes, rags, and any item other than toilet paper trap grease and cause overflows. This will help reduce the risk of blockages for your household and the entire city.
#2 Use a sink strainer: The garbage disposal only grinds up items before passing them into sewer pipes, which allows the remaining fats, oils, and grease to cling to pipe walls. When these items build up in your sink strainer, dispose of them properly in the trash instead.
#3 Use a paper towel or scraper: Wipe grease from utensils, plates, and cookware before washing them in the sink or dishwasher. The best method is to use paper towels and/or scrapers, then throw the paper towels away afterward.
3 Simple Ways You Can Help