News Flash

As family and friends gather and we prepare for holiday feasts, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities reminds you to Can the Grease. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid the mess and expense of a raw sewage backup. Just pour or scrape cooking oil into a can, let it cool and then toss it in the trash.

Everyone plays a part in preventing sewer overflows in their home or business. And everyone PAYs when there is a sewer backup! The NC Department of Environmental Quality fines utilities thousands of dollars every year for sanitary sewer overflows. Pro Tip: Running hot water down the drain does not help, even if you add dish soap. 

Can the Grease - Fats, oil and grease cause 13% of blockages and overflows. You can protect your home, the sewer system and the environment by never disposing of these hazards down any drain. To learn more and download flyers and coloring books in English and Spanish, visit cityofws.org/grease.

WSFC Utilities maintains and monitors the 1,800-mile wastewater system and 2,300 miles of water distribution mains. Your assistance is crucial to reduce the costly impacts of fats, oil and grease. 

It is equally important to remember No Wipes in Pipes. No matter what the package says, you should never flush wipes of any kind. They do not disintegrate and cause nearly 40% of local sewage backups. Throw them in the trash to avoid overflowing sewage in your home and expensive damage to wastewater system pumps. 

Visit cityofws.org/nowipes for videos, flyers to post by toilets in your home or business, plus photos of local blockages caused by wipes and the nasty fatbergs created when grease and wipes combine. Remember to only flush the four Ps: Pee, Poop, Puke & (toilet) Paper!

If you have a sewer backup, contact City Link:

• Call 311 within the city limits or 336-727-8000 from anywhere
• Email citylink@cityofws.org
• Access the Customer Portal pop-up on cityofws.org webpages 
• Live Chat via the pop-up on cityofws.org webpages 
• Download the City Link 311 app on your mobile device
• See more at cityofws.org/citylink