Cooking grease, fat and oil don't belong in the kitchen sink or the garbage disposal, anywhere in Northern Virginia. Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria all give the same core advice: let it cool, pour or scrape it into a can, and throw the can in the trash. It's especially worth remembering around Thanksgiving, when turkey drippings, gravy and roasting-pan fat send more grease down more drains than any other week of the year.
Fairfax County's public works department lists what its sanitary sewer lines aren't built to carry, beyond water, toilet paper and human waste. Its "do not flush or pour" list includes:
(Fairfax County: preventing backups and overflows, as of September 2026.) The county also asks residents to limit garbage disposal use for food scraps and consider composting instead — the disposal grinds food up, but it still has to travel through the same pipes.
Because grinding fat doesn't stop it from coating pipes. Cooking oil and grease are liquid when hot, but they cool as they travel through your plumbing and the sewer line, where they solidify and build up — the same reason a pan of bacon fat turns solid on the counter. Fairfax's wastewater department notes that fats, oils and grease can create acidic conditions that corrode or dissolve concrete and iron sewer pipes over time, on top of causing the clogs and backups homeowners actually notice.
Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria all say the same thing in substance, even if the wording differs:
| Jurisdiction | What to do | Where liquid oil can go |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | "Collect cooking oil waste in a container and never pour it down the drain"; solid fats should be "canned" and thrown in the trash | Liquid cooking oil to the I-66 Transfer Station or I-95 Landfill Complex during Household Hazardous Waste hours |
| Arlington County | "Can the grease! Keep an empty metal can and pour oil and grease into the can. Allow grease to cool in the container before throwing it in the trash." | No separate drop-off found; can it and trash it |
| City of Alexandria | "'Can the Grease.' DO NOT dispose of grease and oils into any sink or drain. Instead pour grease into a can, cool the can in the freezer, and then discard in the trash." | No cooking-oil drop-off found; can it and trash it |
All as of September 2026, from each jurisdiction's official page: Fairfax County, Arlington County, City of Alexandria.
For a greasy pan, wipe it out with a paper towel before you wash it — Fairfax and Alexandria both recommend this, and it keeps the worst of the grease out of the water in the first place.
They're not, according to all three jurisdictions. Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria each specifically warn residents that wipes labeled "flushable" still contribute to clogs, because they don't break down in water the way toilet paper does. Baby wipes, disinfecting wipes, and any other wipe belong in the trash, not the toilet or a garbage disposal.
According to Fairfax County, human waste and toilet paper are the only things the sanitary sewer line is sized for. Household ammonia-based cleaners, drain cleaners and most bathroom cleaners can be flushed or poured down an indoor drain — but never down a storm drain outside, which carries straight to local waterways rather than a treatment plant.
You are, as the property owner, if the backup happens on your side of the line. Arlington's guidance puts it plainly: "When sewer pipes back up on private property, the homeowner or business owner is responsible for the cleanup." Fairfax adds that tree roots are a common cause in older sewer laterals — if you have a plumber clear roots from your line, it's worth calling the county's Customer Communications Center so they can check the county's main line too.
Sewage backup usually isn't covered automatically by a standard homeowner's or renter's policy. Most insurers require a separate rider for it, so it's worth asking your insurance agent before you need it, not after.
Turkey fat, gravy and buttery mashed-potato water are exactly the kind of grease that causes trouble, and a lot of households pour all of it down the sink on the same afternoon. Keep a can by the stove for drippings and pan grease through the holiday, let it cool, and toss it once it's solid rather than risking a clogged line on a day when a plumber is hard to reach.
A slow kitchen drain, gurgling pipes, or a backup that keeps coming back despite your best efforts usually means grease has already built up somewhere in the line. Book drain services with an independent local Pro to clear it, and plumbing repair if the backup has done any damage.
Last updated September 2026.
No. Fat and grease can still coat pipes and cool further down the line even with hot water running, and Arlington's guidance specifically warns against using hot water to rinse grease off cookware for this reason. Pour it into a can instead.
No. Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria all tell residents not to flush wipes, even ones labeled flushable, because they don't break down the way toilet paper does and contribute to clogs and backups.
In Fairfax County, liquid cooking oil can go to the county's Household Hazardous Waste sites at the I-66 Transfer Station or the I-95 Landfill Complex. Alexandria's household hazardous waste center doesn't list a cooking-oil drop-off, so the city's advice is to can it and trash it instead.
You do, as the homeowner. Arlington's guidance is explicit that when sewer pipes back up on private property, the homeowner or business owner is responsible for the cleanup — and most homeowner or renter policies need a separate rider for sewage backup, which isn't automatic.