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In some parts of Portland, sewer pipes are as clogged fatty arteries. In both cases, it鈥檚 really gross and the culprit is the same: oils and grease from fried foods. The city spends more than $12 million a year to fix sewer lines clogged with grease and treat gunky wastewater.

The city is instituting a series of to save money and that connect to the more than 2,000 food service buildings that discharge high amounts of organic sludge into the sewer system. In so-called 鈥渁ccelerated grease cleaning areas,鈥� sewer pipes need to be cleaned 20 to 30 times more frequently than normal pipes.

Starting next year, the city will start charging more of these food service buildings to reduce residential sewer fees and the fees of businesses that already pay extra to clean out the grease they discharge. Also, all new food service businesses 鈥� as well as current businesses located in accelerated grease cleaning areas 鈥� will be required to install grease removal devices

Portland鈥檚 pipes won鈥檛 be clean unless the flow of grease ebbs away a bit. Hopefully these measures stick more than the greasy goo they hope to clean up.