As much as 30,000 gallons of cooking grease blocked a sewer line and caused a spill on land and into a creek this week in Walker County, Georgia.
The spill was found in a wooded area between Glass Mill and Lee Clarkson roads near Chickamauga, according to a Walker County Water & Sewerage Authority news release. The discharge occurred Oct. 23-24, and some of the grease got into Crawfish Creek, a tributary of West Chickamauga Creek.
There's no evidence of any fish being killed, according to the release, but the water up and downstream will be monitored for a year. The spill was reported to the state's Environmental Protection Division.
Customers can help reduce the possibility of future grease blockages and spills by keeping grease from pots and pans out of the sink, where it goes down the drain and solidifies in the collection system "just as bacon grease solidifies in your skillet," the release states.