Thanksgiving Grease and Older DFW Sewer Lines Are a Bad Mix, Plano Plumber Says

Grease caused 47 percent of reported sewer blockages behind overflows, the U.S. EPA found. Why older DFW cast iron lines catch it first.

PLANO, TX, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Turkey drippings, gravy and bacon grease go down a lot of North Texas kitchen drains over Thanksgiving week. Nuflow DFW, a Plano plumbing company that repairs sewer lines, is asking homeowners to keep that grease out of the sink this year, especially in homes with older cast iron pipes.

Grease is the most common reported cause of sewer blockages that lead to overflows. In its 2004 Report to Congress on sewer overflows, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that grease from restaurants, homes and industry caused 47 percent of the reported blockages behind those overflows.

Local utilities give the same warning. Dallas Water Utilities says improper disposal of fats, oils and grease "can result in blockages in city sanitary sewer lines and homeowner pipes," and that the problem among Dallas residents and businesses "is increasing." The North Texas Municipal Water District calls grease poured down the drain "a major contributor to blockages" that can send wastewater back up through toilets, sinks and drains.

Older homes see the problem first. Grease goes down the drain warm and liquid, then hardens and sticks to the wall as it cools in the pipe. Many DFW homes still have their original cast iron sewer lines. In Dallas alone, city housing data counts 300,184 homes, 52.3 percent of the housing stock, built before 1980, when cast iron was the standard material. Cast iron corrodes from the inside over the decades, leaving a rough, narrower pipe for grease to grab onto.

"Grease goes into the drain as a liquid and comes out as a solid somewhere down the line," said Ryan King, owner of Nuflow DFW and a licensed Texas Master Plumber. "In an old cast iron line, the inside wall is already rough from corrosion, so the grease has more to grab onto. A coffee can on the counter is a lot cheaper than a sewer backup."

The City of Plano recommends several steps for holiday grease. Small amounts, such as bacon drippings, should be wiped out of the pan with a paper towel and thrown in the trash. Cooled grease can be poured into a container that seals, then put in the trash when it is full. Plano residents can pick up free grease lids and fat-trapper bags at the Municipal Center Utility Billing Counter, 1520 K Avenue, or at 4200 W. Plano Parkway, and single-family homes can schedule a free pickup of one gallon or more of cooking oil by calling 972-769-4150. Plano also asks residents to keep wipes out of the toilet, noting that wipes tangle with grease in sewer pipes and form "fatbergs."

For larger amounts, such as oil from a fried turkey, dozens of North Texas cities take part in the annual Holiday Grease Roundup, a program of the North Central Texas Council of Governments that collects used cooking oil at free drop-off sites. Dates and participating locations are posted at defendyourdrainsnorthtexas.org.

A clog in one sink is usually local. Three signs point to a problem in the main sewer line instead: drains that back up again and again, slow drains in more than one fixture at the same time, and sewer odors inside the house or in the yard.

Homeowners who already have slow drains before the holiday can schedule drain cleaning. If the same line keeps clogging, a sewer camera inspection shows whether the problem is grease, roots or a damaged section of pipe. Nuflow DFW runs the camera before any work and gives a written estimate first, and the homeowner keeps the footage.

"Put it in a can, not the sink," King said. "And if the kitchen drain is already slow, have the line looked at before the family shows up, not after."

Nuflow DFW schedules service Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

About Nuflow DFW: Nuflow DFW is a locally owned plumbing company based in Plano, Texas, founded in 2021. Its main work is trenchless sewer and pipe repair using CIPP lining, along with sewer camera inspection, hydro jetting, drain cleaning, and water leak detection. The company is licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners under RMP# 46694. Service is scheduled Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Call (469) 701-0597 or visit nuflowdfw.com.

Ryan King
Nuflow DFW
+1 469-701-0597
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Cast Iron Plumbing