Watershed Quarterly

December 2021 | Issue No. 27

Avoiding Sewer Backups: Proper Disposal of Fats, Oils, and Grease

Fats, oils, and grease aren't just bad for arteries; they are bad for sewers, too.

When cooking oils or greasy foods are disposed of in household drains or neighborhood storm drains, the fat, oil, and grease can clog sewer lines and cause damage in local rivers and streams.

The problems can occur any time of the year but are especially common around the holidays when people put leftover food scraps down the drain or incorrectly dispose of leftover cooking oil.

The cost from cleaning up blocked sewer lines and spilled sewage is passed on to utility rate payers. Grease-clogged lines can also result in costly plumbing bills; no one wants to incur those extra costs during the holidays.

You can bring any leftover oils to the City of Tulsa’s Household Pollutant Collection Facility, 4502 S. Galveston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74107, on Wednesday or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The facility accepts a variety of household pollutants like cooking grease, oil (car or cooking), herbicides, and pesticides. A technician will even unload the pollutants/oils from your vehicle for safe disposal.

For more information on how you can properly dispose of used cooking oils after holiday dinners, visit www.trapthegreasetulsa.com

Keeping Leaves and Grass Out of Storm Drains

The beauty of Fall and colorful fall leaves are something we all look forward to in Oklahoma. However, in our urban environments, fall leaves can lead to a huge problem.

When leaves are left in piles on the streets or storm drains get clogged with leaves it creates an issue because rain will not be able to get down the storm drains and eventually cause flooding.

Not only can the leaves cause flooding, but they can also cause blockages in creeks and a decrease in the amount of available oxygen in waterways.

If you see anyone blowing leaves or grass into the street and not cleaning them up, please email Tulsa311@cityoftulsa.org to report it to our Customer Care Center.

Species Spotlight:

Central Stoneroller

This month's species spotlight is on the “central stoneroller,” a brown minnow with small fins. This minnow is native to creeks and streams of central and eastern North America. The one pictured below is a male. We know this, because of the bumps on its head called a "tubercle." Tubercles attract females and are used to fight other males. After mating season, these little bumps, which are made from keratin, fall off.

The central stoneroller can live in highly polluted bodies of water, so they are not a good indicator of water quality by themselves. Even though they do not give us a good indication of water quality, they are still very important for the environment. They primarily eat algae, which helps improve water the condition in their habitats.

Litter is Harmful to Our City, Waterways

Litter is a huge problem in Tulsa. Like leaves and grass, it can also create blockages in waterways and result in flooding. Litter can be a mixture of plastic bottles, bags, Styrofoam, or other materials that are left in public spaces.

Throughout the City of Tulsa, there are areas that pile up with trash due to careless littering, the trash flowing down creeks, and dumpsites. It can take decades to break down the material found in litter and trash.

The easiest way to mitigate litter is to not carelessly throw it out in the first place. Reduce the number of plastics that you use. Instead of getting plastic bags, try reusable grocery bags. If you see litter on the ground - pick it up. Everyone can play a part in eliminating litter in our community.

Education Spotlight

Janell Hartwell is the City of Tulsa's Streets and Stormwater Department's Community Involvement Coordinator.

Janell educates Tulsa Public School students about pollution in our storm drains. So far this year, Janell has visited five middle schools and has 17 to go! She discusses how oil, leaves, gasoline, and bacteria get into the storm drain. These pollutants threaten our environment and are especially detrimental to our local wildlife.

To have Janell visit your school, please email stormwater@cityoftulsa.org.

Visit the City of Tulsa online