City of Casper Warns: Keep Holiday Fats and Oils Out of Drains to Avoid Costly Sewer Backups

With holiday cooking and baking in full swing, the City of Casper is reminding residents to keep fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) out of sinks and drains to prevent costly and unpleasant sewer backups.

“Even small amounts of FOGs put into your drain can have a big impact on the health of your pipes,” explained Matt Wilhelms, Wastewater Collection Manager. “FOGs react with other liquids and solids in our sewer pipes and create fatbergs and clogs.”

This year, Casper has already experienced three sewer backups caused by FOGs. According to Wilhelms, these incidents are disruptive, expensive, and unpleasant for both residents and City crews—and entirely preventable. “We are asking residents to do their part to protect the community’s wastewater system during the busy holiday season,” he said.

Large amounts of FOGs, such as leftover oil from deep-frying a turkey, should not be poured into dumpsters. Residents can take these to the Casper Regional Solid Waste Facility Special Waste area. For smaller amounts, Wilhelms recommends a simple three-step method:

Cool – Let FOGs cool to avoid melting containers or causing burns.

Contain – Place FOGs in a sealed container, such as a glass jar, food tub, or any solid receptacle with a lid.

Trash – Dispose of the sealed container in a trash can.

Common FOGs include butter, lard, cream-based sauces, fat trimmings from meat, gravy, pan drippings, and cooking oils like olive, vegetable, and canola oil. A complete list is available at casperwy.gov.

In addition to sewer system reminders, residents should note that City of Casper administrative offices will be closed Thursday and Friday this week, and trash collection for those days will be delayed by one day—Thursday’s trash will be collected Friday, and Friday’s trash will be collected Saturday.

“Also, the Casper Regional Solid Waste Facility will be closed Thursday and will close early at 1 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday,” reported Solid Waste Manager Cynthia Langston. Langston also reminded residents that this is the last week for leaf collection.

By keeping FOGs out of drains and following holiday collection schedules, residents can help ensure a safe, clean, and smoothly running community this season.