The Responsible Flushing Alliance offers a free FOG activity book focused on "Do Not Pour" and "Do Not Flush" family-friendly projects available in time for the holidays. Help keep fats, oils, and grease (FOG), and non-flushable items out of our sewers and waterways.
SEATTLE, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The holiday season is here as families around the country prepare for Thanksgiving and other festivities during the remainder of the year. The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is providing tips to keep your drains and pipes clog-free while also protecting wastewater infrastructure.
While preparing for, and cleaning up after, holiday celebrations, don't forget to keep fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) out of the drains. When FOGs go down the drain, they can attach to other items not intended for flushing and create fatbergs…giant cement-like masses that can break our wastewater infrastructure.
"As we enjoy the holiday season, it's important to remember that pouring grease down the drain and flushing items that shouldn't be flushed can clog home plumbing as well as wreak havoc on our wastewater treatment infrastructure," said Lara Wyss, President of RFA. "The name fatberg is a combination of fat and iceberg, and removal can cost tens of thousands to millions of dollars. The cleanup fees are usually passed along to the utility rate-payer."
RFA, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information to keep homes and communities healthy through smart flushing practices, is releasing a free educational F.O.G. Activity Book for parents and children that is filled with fun family activities related to keeping FOG and wipes out of our sewers.
The FOG Activity Book (https://www.flushsmart.org/wp-content/uploads/FOG-Activity-Book.pdf) includes activities such as Make-Your-Own FOG Can, a FOG rap song, coloring sheets for the "Do Not Pour" and "Do Not Flush" signs, and a matching sheet for signs and symbols. The activities are perfect for children in Kindergarten – 6th grade. It is also available in Spanish: https://www.flushsmart.org/wp-content/uploads/FOG-Activity-Book-Es.pdf
What Not to Flush
Items that should not be flushed include any wet wipes with the "Do Not Flush" label, which include baby wipes, household cleaning wipes, and makeup removal wipes. These "Do Not Flush" labeled wipes are made with long, often synthetic fibers that are engineered to be durable rather than break down in water.
Other items that should never be flushed include: paper towels, feminine hygiene products, wrappers, trash, cat litter, medicine, dental floss, cotton swabs/pads, condoms, sheet masks, toys, and hair, to name some of the top items found by wastewater treatment facilities.
Another #FlushSmart tip is to keep a covered trash can near the toilet. This provides a discrete location to properly dispose of items not intended for flushing.
About RFA
The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization dedicated to consumer education focused on what should and should not be flushed. RFA's goal is to change consumer behavior, through its #FlushSmart campaign, to help reduce damage to our nation's sewage systems caused by objects and materials not designed to be flushed. For more information visit http://www.flushsmart.org or follow #FlushSmart on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Media Contact
Lara Wyss, Responsible Flushing Alliance, 206-487-4570, [email protected], www.flushsmart.org
SOURCE Responsible Flushing Alliance
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