FOG is a Nasty Three-Letter Word

(Keep Fats, Oils and Grease Away
from Sink Drains and Toilets)

FOG – is an acronym that stands for fats, oils and grease and what happens to them when they are improperly poured down a drain or toilet. The ramifications of this three-letter word can result in a host of nasty and expensive problems ranging from clogging a home plumbing system to the inability to remove waste from city sewer lines.
 
While most FOG comes from grease and oils used for home cooking and by restaurants with poorly maintained grease traps, it can also come from oils and lubricants discharged into floor drains. Food scraps (such as meats, sauces, salad dressings, deep-fried dishes, cookies, pastries, and butter) that are washed down the drain contribute to the effects of FOG by adhering to and clogging the city’s sewer lines. Grease build-up in the sewer system can reduce or block the capacity of the sewer pipes, leading to the need for increased cleaning, maintenance and replacement of lines. Additionally, FOG can interfere with the normal treatment of wastewater and cause sewer spills.

FOG can lead to problems no one wants to deal with, such as raw, septic sewage that backs up into your home or your neighbor’s home, followed by expensive and unpleasant cleanup, or which can overflow into neighborhood parks, yards and streets.

Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the sewer system, nor will they prevent grease from building up. And products such as detergents that claim to dissolve grease may pass the grease down the pipeline and cause problems elsewhere.

The following recommendations are provided to help remind residents and others to keep FOG away from drains and toilets:

• Always scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, grills and other cooking surfaces and place into the trash for disposal.
• Pour fats, oils and grease into a container such as an empty jar or coffee can. Once the materials have cooled and solidified, secure the lid and throw it in the trash.
• Don’t put grease down a garbage disposal. Put drain baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids – and empty them into the trash.

If you have additional questions/concerns about the disposal of fats, oil and grease call the Utilities Department Environmental Compliance Division at 626-570-3277.  If you have a city-related sewer problem, call the Customer Service Division at 626-570-5061.