“Can the grease” this Thanksgiving

Missouri American Water urges sewer customers to properly dispose of cooking grease to protect home plumbing and sewers

Thanksgiving starts the holiday season this Thursday, and that means lots of cooking and eating. It also means that cooking fats, oils and grease, if poured down the drain, can cause blockages in the public sewer system.

Many of our favorite Thanksgiving foods contain fats, oils and grease -- including turkey, dressing, sauces, baked goods and dairy products. If grease is poured down the drain, it may stick to the sides of sewer pipes, both on your property and in the public sewer system. Over time, the grease will build up and block the pipes.

Grease accumulation in the public sewer system can causes blockages in the sewer pipes. Blocked sewer pipes can cause sewer backups into homes and/or streets, costly cleaning and maintenance, and water pollution.

What can you do to help? The easiest way is to keep fats, oils and grease out of the sewer system:

• Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.
• Scrape food scraps and grease from plates, pots and utensils into the trash.
• Pour fats, oils and grease into an empty jar or coffee can. Allow the grease to cool and solidify, then recycle the grease or throw the container in the trash.

Missouri American Water

Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million people.

Founded in 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse, publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151123006313/en/

Missouri American WaterAnn DettmerO: 314-996-2356M: [e-mail]