Busted and clogged pipes cost the Miami-Dade County sewage system $600,000 last year, and one of the main culprits was grease.
That's why Miami-Dade Water and Sewer is asking residents to properly dispose of their cooking waste this holiday season.
Jennifer Messemer-Skold, the county agency's spokesperson, likened a pipe clogged with grease to an unhealthy heart.
"If you have a very high fat-content diet, your arteries start to clog up," she said.
As the residue hardens and builds up, it makes it harder for waste to pass through, causing a heart attack — or in the case of the water system, a sewer main break.
"It breaks in the street. There's untreated sewage in the street," Messemer-Skold said. "And it could ultimately — depending on where it happens — end up in a waterway."
And while holiday cooking especially wreaks havoc on pipes, Messemer-Skold said it's a year-round issue.
Baby wipes, paper towels and egg shells were some of the everyday items that contributed to the more than 700 clogs last year.
"Even if you have a garbage disposal, just go ahead and throw it away," Messemer-Skold said.
And for those planning to cook with grease or oil, Messemer-Skold offered some advice for how to properly dispose of it.
"Wait for the grease or oil to cool, can it and then put it in the garbage and trash it," she said.