It's a good thing Santa comes through the chimney and not the pipes. Jolly old St. Nick probably couldn't squeeze past the hardened kitchen microfiber dish cloth grease lining many local drains.

        Cooking oil poured down bib apron Kids Apron the kitchen sink is responsible for 43 per cent of Edmonton's pipe blockages.

        "Once it leaves the sink, it gets into the pipes. Chair Pad And the pipes are cold so it sticks to the walls," says Andy Bowen, director of drainage operations.

        The city is urging residents to think twice before letting fatty residue run down the drain after Christmas dinner.

        Unwanted oil or fat should be stored in a plastic container and taken to an eco-station.

        "The holiday season is a prime time for grease usage," Bowen says, adding, "We'd like to get people thinking about grease year-round not (just) at holiday time."