FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike McGill
(910) 332-6704
mike.mcgill@cfpua.org
communications@cfpua.org
Wilmington, NC (January 23, 2013): The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) is proud to announce its latest campaign to keep fats, oils and grease (FOG) out of our customers’ pipes and CFPUA’s sewer system. Today, more than 5,000 blue, plastic can lids became available to CFPUA’s customers at the Authority’s Customer Service offices: 235 Government Center Drive and 305 Chestnut Street in Wilmington.
The common mistake we all make with fats, oils and grease is that we pour them down the drain after we’re done cooking, believing the FOG will stay liquid as it moves through our sewer pipes. The problem is that FOG eventually cools and hardens, blocking our customer’s pipes and CFPUA’s sewer system. FOG entering our system from our customers’ homes is the number one cause of sewer blockages that cause spills into the environment.
The can lid is a simple one, designed to fit a variety of cans – vegetable, tuna fish, dog food, soup, you name it. It allows customers to simply pour their fats, oils or grease into a can and seal it until it cools and hardens. Once the can fills up, customers can simply throw it away and use the lid for the next can.
The lid launch builds upon the success of CFPUA’s FatTrapper© program, which handed out more than 1,300 fat-collection containers to our customers earlier this year. Even if they were just used once, the FatTrappers kept an estimated 60,000-plus ounces of fats, oils and grease out of our customers’ pipes and the CFPUA sewer system.
The lid program is just one of the impactful programs developed and managed by CFPUA’s Community Compliance division. The division is also responsible for working with restaurants in CFPUA’s service area to ensure they are doing their part to keep FOG out of our sewer system. Since its creation in 2008, CFPUA has cut down the number of sewer spills by more than 30 percent and the volume coming from those spills by more than 70 percent.
“Sometimes the simplest ideas can have the greatest impact. When clogs occur, they not only cause a tremendous inconvenience for our customers but also have a negative impact on our environment. By using the lids to collect fats, oils and grease, thousands of our customers can safely and easily help us take care of our sewer system,” said Jim Flechtner, CFPUA Executive Director.
For more information about CFPUA’s FOG program and its other efforts to keep our sewer system safe and reliable, please contact CFPUA’s Community Compliance division at 332-6558 or contact Mike McGill, Chief Communications Officer, at 332-6704.
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) was formed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to combine their water and sewer operations. It began operations on July 1, 2008. Today, the Authority serves more than 65,000 water customer accounts and more than 63,000 wastewater customer accounts. It oversees more than 1,000 miles of water distribution mains and nearly 1,000 miles of sewer mains. For more information, visit www.cfpua.org or contact CFPUA's Communications staff at communications@cfpua.org.