By Kirsti Marohn

MPR News/90.1 FM

Thanksgiving may be a time of joy for you, but for sewer workers it’s the season of dread — the holiday when clogged fats, oil, grease and disposable wipes can lead to sewer backups and other unpleasantness.

Because of that, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is pleading with people to keep the grease from Thanksgiving dinner out of the kitchen drain.

The agency says people should dispose of fat, oil and grease in the trash by pouring them onto newspaper or into a container. Wipe out greasy pots and pans with a paper towel before washing.

And don’t flush the “disposable” wipes. Put them in the trash. The wipes don’t break down and can cause damage to the sewer system.