Protect Our Pipes
Help protect our pipes! When fats, oils, grease (FOG), wipes, hair, chemicals and construction materials go down sinks or toilets, they build up inside pipes and cause costly blockages. These clogs can damage homes and businesses, harm the environment and damage the City’s wastewater system.
Why it matters-sewer backups and costly repairs
Clogs don’t just affect your pipes—they impact the whole community. Sewage can back up into homes and businesses, city infrastructure can be damaged and cause maintenance costs to rise. Untreated wastewater can also escape into local waterways, creating long-term environmental harm. Each year, the City of St. Albert responds to sewer backups caused by FOG buildups or other items disposed of improperly into the pipes. Keeping these materials out of the sewer system is easy.
Keep our pipes safe, clean and flowing.
What happens when FOGs, chemicals and products aren't disposed of properly?
Everything that goes down our drains enters our system. Liquids and products can stick to the sides of the pipes in your home. As these liquids cool and solidify, they build up and cause large, solid blockages in both residential and City-owned pipes. The blockages restrict the flow of wastewater from your house and cause sewer failures.
FOGs , other chemicals and products also have an impact on St. Albert's wastewater treatment. These liquids pollute our wastewater, making the treatment of water more costly.
Tips for homeowners
Kitchen:
- Pour fats, oils and grease (FOG) into a container, let it harden, then toss it in the Brown Garbage Cart. Keep a small ‘grease can’ by the stove.
- Put food scraps into the Green Organics Cart.
- Wipe off any excess FOG residue with paper towel and place it in the Green Organics Cart.
- Use a strainer in your kitchen sink to catch food scraps before they go down the drain.
- Do not pour FOGs down garburators. These units chop food material into smaller pieces, but they do not prevent these substances from going down the drain.
- Hot water and detergents that claim to dissolve grease only move the grease further down the line where it can cause problems in another area of the sewer system.
Bathroom:
- Think before you flush: Only flush the 3 Ps — pee, poo, (toilet) paper. Everything else belongs in the garbage.
- Keep wipes, paper towels, cotton balls, hair and dental floss out of the toilet — they don’t break down and can create costly backups.
Laundry & cleaning:
- Pour leftover cleaners or chemicals into the hazardous waste stream, not your drain.
Renovations:
- Take paint, solvents and household chemicals to the Eco Station. Never rinse renovation materials like concrete, grout, paint or plaster down any drain.
Tips For Businesses
Restaurants, garages, salons and contractors all have hidden clog risks. Keeping drains clear protects your business, customers and community.
- Restaurants: Install and maintain grease traps; never pour grease or food scraps down the drain. Recycle used cooking oil through a licensed service.
- Salons, barbershops & spas: Use hair catchers and sweep up before rinsing; dispose of dyes and chemicals safely.
- Garages & contractors: Keep oil, solvents, and concrete out of drains; use proper disposal bins.
- Collect and dispose of concrete, paint and grout responsibly. Use washout areas and sediment traps where possible.
REMINDER: Floor and mop sinks are not for waste—never drain or rinse oils or chemicals into them.
Related Pages
Last edited: March 24, 2026