Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG)

Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.) can be identified as pollutants commonly found in kitchen wastewater. When F.O.G. gets into our sanitary sewer system, it can harden in the lines and cause stop-ups or sanitary sewer overflows, which may result in raw sewage running onto the ground. F.O.G. build-up is the number one cause of public and private sewage spills. The easiest way to solve this problem and help prevent overflows is to keep these materials out of the sewer system in the first place. F.O.G. can also cause enormous problems during the wastewater treatment process, which costs the City and its citizens money. Preventing F.O.G. from entering your drain system will also help you to avoid plumbing backups and costly sewer repair bills. Minimizing F.O.G. is the right thing to do for you and the environment.

What Can You Do to Help?

• Place cooled cooking oil and poultry or meat fat into a sealed container
• Use paper towels to wipe residual grease or oil off of dishes, pots, and pans prior to washing them
• Do not dump cooking oil, poultry or meat fat, and grease into the kitchen sink or toilet bowl
• Do not use hot water and soap to wash grease down the drain, because it will cool and harden in your pipes or the sewer line
• Do not use the garbage disposal to get rid of food scraps - scrape them into the trash