Leesburg Wants to “Can the Grease”

Leesburg Utilities Department offers tips to keep sewage from backing up into homes and businesses

The Town of Leesburg Department of Utilities wants to provide homeowners, businesses and restaurants with the information they need to protect their pipes, their homes, their wallets, and the environment, from sewage backups.
 
There are many things that can go wrong in a house or a business, but few are more troubling than sewage backing up into the basement. Sewer system overflows are a national problem, with up to 75,000 major events reported annually to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Fortunately, most sewer backups are preventable, if homeowners and business owners take a few simple, precautionary steps.

According to the Leesburg Utilities Department, the easiest action that residents and business can take is to simply “can the grease” by storing it in a soup can and disposing of it in the garbage instead of pouring it down the drain.  Most people do not realize that this one simple step can potentially save them from messy and unhealthy sewer backups. It can also prevent thousands of gallons of wastewater from reaching the nation’s waterways. The following tips are offered by Leesburg to help “Can the Grease”:

• Never pour kitchen greases or oils down the drain, even if you think you are washing it down with hot water.
• Pour cooled grease into a can and throw it in the trash.
• Scrape grease and food scraps into the trash can.
• Put baskets/strainers in sinks to catch food scraps. Toss scraps on a compost heap, or into the trash.
• Do not use the garbage disposal to get rid of peelings etc.

Residents and businesses can contact the Leesburg Department of Utilities at 703-771-2750 for more information or to invite a speaker to their school or association meeting. Groups that schedule a Town of Leesburg “Can the Grease” presentation will receive special lid tops with directions on how they can help prevent sewage backups and overflows. Residents may also come by the Town office at 25 W. Market St. , 2nd floor ,Utilities department and ask for a lid.

With more than 205 miles of water lines and over 171 miles of sewer pipeline throughout our service area, Leesburg’s Department of Utilities appreciates notification from the public if they suspect a sanitary sewer overflow or back-up. Call 703-771-2750 during normal business hours or call the police non-emergency number at 703-771-4500 after hours.  Town staff is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.