News

Drink your eggnog — don’t pour it down the drain

A TV commercial seen on over-the-top boxes, like Roku and on YouTube, encourages Stafford residents to store, not pour fats, oils, and grease.

Stafford County reminds residents not to pour fats, oils, and grease down the drain this holiday season.

These substances harden and clog pipes and drains in homes and within the county-maintained sewer system.

According to the county, Stafford’s sewer system serves 35,000 residents. The annual maintenance and pump-out cost are over $1.6 million, meaning that additional complications from FOGs could easily double the county’s sewer infrastructure maintenance cost.

Since its inception, Stafford has conducted multiple campaigns across social media and provided informational flyers to get its message across to residents. The #canyourgrease campaign was once such an endeavor that made its way across platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Officials briefly halted the campaign in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

The county encourages residents to store FOGs in a heat-proof container such as jars or cans and then take them to the Regional Landfill at 489 Eskimo Hill Road or the Belman Road Recycling Center at 1200 Belman Road in Fredericksburg.