Ga. county working to keep grease out of sewers - KMSP-TV

Ga. county working to keep grease out of sewers

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DECATUR, Ga. -

DeKalb County officials are encouraging residents to refrain from dumping cooking byproducts down the drain, citing the negative impacts butter and grease have on the sewer system.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday reported there have been 871 raw sewage spills in the county over the past five years, and grease was identified as a factor in seven out of every 10 spills.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 ordered the county to spend $700 million on sewer upgrades. The county is now working on a $1.35 billion upgrade to its sewer system, which is expected to take eight years to complete.

Since beginning a community outreach effort on the issue, the county has seen a 38% drop through October in the number of sewage spills since last year.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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