A new initiative to reduce the amountĀ of waste going down the drain has started up in the city. The Grease Beast is making its appearance around Lloydminster to remind people not to clog up their drains with harmful waste.
“The Grease Beast is supposed to be a visual representation of the fat, oil, trash and food waste that goes down the drains and clogs the sewers. He’s been constructed kind of as a reminder to carefully consider everything you put down your drain every day,” says treatmentĀ plant operator Sandra Brunton.
She says the city’s Waste Water Treatment Plant has a huge problem with grease clogs,Ā as well as equipmentĀ issues caused by the items people are choosing to dispose of in drainĀ systems.
“The main thing that we see is very large chunks of fat, oil and grease which have a tendency to combine with baby wipes and otherĀ trash that gets put down the drain. We also see all kinds of crazy things like propane tanks, paint cans, fence posts and even false teeth.”
The city says when materials block the drain system in homes they can cause unwanted backups. If the city sewer gets clogged a collection crew will bring in cameras to look at the clog and then either flush out or steam it out of the sewer. Brunton says that doesn’t make the problem go away rather the waste gets pushed to the treatment plant.
In order to avoid clogging situations, Brunton says the city has a FOG Cup program that allows oil and grease to be put into cups and then into green bins.
“The best thing to do is to divert anything that’s not considered flushable to your garbage orĀ your green bin. Any types of wipes, floss, q-tips that sort of thing those should all go in the garbageĀ because at the end of the day if they make it to the Waste Water Treatment Plant they’re going to be going to the landfill anyway.”
For more information on how to dispose of waste properly visit the city’s website.