Prevent Plumbing Problems

Protect your pipes and the quality of our water, and avoid putting these items down your drain:

Fats, Oils, Grease and Solids (FOGS)

If you put FOGS down the drain, they will harden and cling to the walls in your household pipes or city sewer lines. Once hardened, this reduces water flow and could cause a sewage backup into your home or neighborhood. FOGS come from meats, butter, food scraps, sauces and gravy, dairy products, and cooking oil.

What to do?
Compost what you can, then scrape food, oils, grease and sauces – yes, even gravy - into the trash. Recycle your used cooking oil by dropping it off at the Environmental Collection Center (ECC) during the monthly Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events. The ECC is located at 616 S. Wisteria Street. These events occur the second Saturday of the month (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.), and Thursday - Friday before the second Saturday (3:00 - 5:00 p.m.)

Medicines

If you put medicines such as prescription pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications (antibiotics, cough syrup, or pain medications) down the drain or toilet, they end up in the water supply because the water treatment process can’t completely remove them.

What to do?
Drop them off at the Mansfield Public Safety Building at 1305 E. Broad Street. The lobby has a collection box available Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. **THE  DRUG TAKE BACK PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19** 

Cleaning Products

While it’s okay for small amounts of household chemicals to go down the drain – no more than about a cup – large amounts of chemicals should never be disposed of in your drain! Bleach, disinfectants, degreasers, and other household cleaners are difficult to extract from water at the wastewater treatment plants, and they can also be harmful to workers and the environment.

Paints and Pesticides

Leftover paint, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizer, and other household wastes can hazardous, and should never be disposed of through your drains. These chemicals are difficult and expensive to remove from the water and could damage your pipes.

What to do?
Drop these items off, along with cleaning products, at the Environmental Collection Center during the monthly Household Hazardous Waste events.

For more information about what not to put down your drain, visit Defend Your Drains North Texas.