When news broke in 2016 that the amount of lead found the city of Flint, Michigan’s water had risen to toxic levels, it was cause for concern across the county. The situation in Flint was so bad that in one home, water was 867 times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 15 ppb limit. 

As Flint scrambled to find ways to solve the problem while securing ways to get safe water, cities in the U.S. looked into their own lead levels. The dire situation in Flint also shed light on how important clean drinking water is, and how serious the consequences can be if they aren’t.

How safe is Cincinnati’s drinking water? 

The short answer is: very safe.

Flint’s problem, specifically, was lead contamination in the drinking water. The culprit was corrosion in aging lead pipes that was not filtered properly by the city before the water went through city pipes and into homes.  

The good news here in Cincinnati is that Greater Cincinnati Waterworks (GCWW) has had an established corrosion control process long before the issue in Flint arose. In fact, GCWW has always met or exceeded EPA health standards for drinking water. 

Additionally, GCWW’s state-of-the-art water treatment process also includes “sand filtration, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) and ultraviolet (UV) light to remove and treat for natural and man-made contaminants from our drinking water,” according to its website. 

In fact, the California, Ohio treatment plant was one of the first in the country to use all four treatment methods. 

The GCWW’s extensive water treatment means it’s highly unlikely for something like what happened in Flint to happen here. However, it does not mean that we’re entirely in the clear. That’s because no level of lead in water is healthy. 

In an historic city like Cincinnati, extra attention to lead levels in water need to be given in old homes and especially in schools, because children run the highest risk of anyone of lead poisoning. Fifty percent of lead they ingest gets absorbed by their bones (in adults about ten percent gets absorbed). 

Lead poisoning: Know the signs 

If you’re worried you or your loved one has been exposed to toxic levels of lead, here are the symptoms to watch for, according to mayoclinic.com: 

Testing your home’s water 

Currently there are no lead issues in the city, but if you’re worried about the quality of your drinking water, we recommend getting it tested. GCWW offers a free water testing kit to detect lead in your water. You can also purchase water testing kits on Amazon.com, and at your local hardware store. 

Most kits range in price from $10-$20. That’s a small price to pay for your family’s health, and for your peace of mind.

We also recommend investing in a water filter system for your home. Whole house water systems are ideal, but if they aren’t in your budget, consider adding filters to your faucets, especially in your kitchen. These can not only help filter lead from the water, but other chemicals and pollutants, too.  

Restaurants aren’t the only businesses that require grease trap cleaning and pumping. In fact, grease trap pumping is a must for any business that has a kitchen, and that includes schools, nursing homes and assisted living communities, as well as catering businesses and sports venues. If you’re cooking in a facility that feeds lots of people, at some point you’re going to need your grease trap pumped. And we can help. 

Allied Reddi-Rooter is Cincinnati’s grease trap pumping specialist. It’s a service we provide almost daily to local businesses to ensure their kitchens are optimally clean and sanitary. And this, in turn, helps the Cincinnati community stay healthy, so grease doesn’t get trapped in sewer lines and contaminate water. 

Why is grease trap pumping important?  

Your grease trap has an important job to do. It stops oil and grease from getting into the wastewater that flows through the sewer lines. If the grease trap isn’t working effectively, grease and oil will build up in your kitchen’s pipes and cause serious clogs. 

A grease trap, which every professional kitchen should have, catches grease via a series of “baffles.” And these traps have to be cleaned at least every three months. If your grease trap is more than 1/4th full of grease and oil, it’s time for the grease trap to be pumped. 

How grease trap pumping works 

We begin by pumping the grease and oil from the trap into the tank of an Allied Reddi-Rooter truck. Then, we apply a high pressure wash to remove any excess grease that is still left in the trap. 

After the grease trap is clean, we take the truck back to our facility, where the collected grease and oil are processed using a polymer. Then, once in a more solid state, it is filtered through screens. The dry waste that remains is thrown away and the remaining water is safe enough to be released as wastewater. 

Tips to keep you grease trap cleaner 

Make sure to dry wipe your pots and pans. You’ll want to keep them free of any residual grease that can remain after you give them a rinse and before you put them in a dishwasher. Make sure to do the same with your plates and utensils. 

Dispose of cooking safely.  In the U.S., we generate 2.5 billion gallons of used cooking oil a year, and it’s important to dispose of it safely. This can be done by chilling the grease in a sealable container and throwing it away with your regular garbage.

Remember to clean your grease traps every four weeks, and clean them before or after business hours so that your customers don’t have to put up with the smell. 

Ready for your grease trap to be pumped? Give the team at Allied Reddi-Rooter a call. We’ll keep your kitchen safe and clean.

Learn more. Watch our YouTube video.