Owasso Waste Treatment Plant Impacted By Oklahoma's Coronavirus Outbreak

With Oklahomans across Green Country staying home, people are doing more cooking, cleaning, and disposing.      

Assistant Public Works Director Travis Blundell for Owasso said that's creating a problem in their sewers.         

“The wastewater treatment plant operators have identified they are seeing a higher concentration of fats oil and grease in the sewer water,” Blundell told News on 6.

Blundell said those fats and oils harden into "globules,” about the size of bb’s. They can block lines - causing sewage to come out of sinks, bathtubs and toilets. He said sewers were clogged in several neighborhoods this past month.

“There are eve chances for that type of globules to make it into the receiving stream where it can be harmful to the environment,” said Blundell.

Owasso senior Grace Geisler said she wants to be an environmental engineer and she agrees proper disposal is important. 

“It is kind of scary to think that with everyone home, it’s not being distributed around the city. It’s all in our neighborhoods,” said Giesler.    

The city said there are some easy solutions. When you are done eating or cooking, don't immediately wash your plates in the sink. Instead city workers recommend you let the grease harden, and then scrape it off and throw it in the trash or pour it into a container to recycle later. Salad dressing also has oil, so dump your leftovers in the trash rather than the disposal. 

Blundell and Giesler said everyone need to do their part to keep keeping their homes and city clean.

If Owasso residents have any questions or concerns, you can email Clawrence@cityofowasso.com or call 918-376-1519.

For more tips and information on proper disposal - you can click here.