Restaurant Fats, Oils & Grease
FOG refers to Fats, Oil and Grease originating in most kitchens, restaurants and food service establishments. As a byproduct of cooking, FOG is usually found in:
- Cooking Oil/Butter/Margarine/Lard
- Meats
- Dairy Products (Milk, Cheeses, Yogurt)
- Sauces/Gravies/Salad Dressings
- Deep-Fried Dishes (French Fries, Fried Chicken)
- Baking Goods (Pizza, Cookies, Pastries)
- Food Scraps
FOG CLOGS SEWERS!!
FOG is washed into sewers mainly from food preparation establishments (usually through kitchen sinks and floor drains) that do not have adequate grease control measures in place. FOG attaches to the inner lining of the private plumbing system on your property, as well as the public sewer system in City streets.
With time, the FOG buildup can constrict flow and eventually block the entire pipe, causing sewage backups and overflows. A sewage overflow will find its way from the street level into the storm drain, which finally leads to the river.
OTHER POTENTIAL COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF FOG?
- Property Damages from sewage backups. You have to pay for expensive cleanup and plumbing repairs!
- Health Hazards from insect infestation. Backed-up sewage and accumulated food residue are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, insects and other vermin.
- Monetary Penalties from non-compliance. Most municipalities either presently or plan to pass the cost of clearing blockage, cleanup and any regulatory fines assessed back to the offending party.
- Business Closure from health code violation. This could greatly impact your business operation!
- Increased Sewer Fees from City’s excessive maintenance and severe fines from regulatory agencies. FOG blocks sewer pipes, gums up pump stations and interferes with the normal operation of wastewater treatment facilities.
- River Closures from high bacteria levels in contaminated storm drain flows. Overflowed sewage will contaminate the flow in the storm drain and cause health risk concerns for swimmers and animal life.
Is your restaurant properly disposing of food waste?
Restaurants create a lot of fats, oils and grease waste. Many restaurants follow proper disposal practices but not all restaurant workers and managers know what to do.
If your business causes a fats, oils and grease-related incident, you may be responsible for clean-up costs and/or fined. The result of sewer clogs can be serious. Clogged sewer lines and sewer overflows cause major disruptions to businesses and the city could be hit with fines and lawsuits when overflows make their way to local waterways.
It’s that serious but an easy problem to solve. This page features resources designed to help restaurant owners, managers and employees properly dispose of fats, oils and grease.
City representatives willvisit restaurants to provide information about proper fats, oils and grease disposal. They can be very helpful in solving your disposal issues. During these unannounced visits, city representatives review:
- city requirements;
- best practices for proper food waste disposal; and
- inspect grease traps and/or interceptors with a restaurant owner or manager.
They want to help you solve any issues you have.
Do Your Part
Download these helpful documents and share them with your employees. A good training program will help everyone properly dispose of fats, oils and grease. A few simple steps will create real savings in time, money and hassle. And protect the environment too!
Information for Restaurant Owners, Managers, and Employees
Escalon Municipal Code Section 13.08