Madison's Everyday Engineering

Madison's Everyday Engineering


Down the drain: bowling balls, bacon grease, Legos

November 25, 2019

Once the water from your faucet or soggy noodles from dinner go down the drain, it’s just the beginning of a major process that many of us take for granted. One of the biggest misconceptions about drains is you can put anything down it, as long as it melts or you chase whatever you put down the drain with soap. If it never makes it through the pipe, chances are, you’ll have some major issues that will go deep into your wallet. In this episode, City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Operations Supervisor Jay Schlimgen and Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Pollution Prevention Specialist Emily Jones to talk about what you should and shouldn’t be putting down your drain, and their answers may surprise you! From a field trip experiment to a bowling ball or two, you never know what you will find in the City’s sewer. Before you grind anything up in your garbage disposal, you’ll want to listen to this episode to learn what can go down the drain so you’re not paying for it in the long run.