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 "What is FOG?"
 FOG stands for “fats, oils, and grease” and it’s a real pain in the drain. When FOG is poured down the drain, the hot liquid begins to cool and cling to the sewer pipes. Eventually, this build up will cause a clog that may result in sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) and back-ups in homes and businesses. Yuck! These overflows are not only bad for the environment and pose a health risk to citizens, but may require costly clean ups that affect public utility rates and may result in loss of sales for food service establishments.
"But I would never directly pour grease in the drain…"
- Maybe not, but FOG hides in food scraps and sauces. Do you scrape your plate of any leftover food scraps and wipe out residue (for example, from soups and sauces) with a paper towel? As much as possible, only water should go down the drain. Even small amounts of grease will build up over time; and when it mixes with other gritty items, like kitty litter, rags, tampons, and diapers in the sewer, it becomes like thick concrete. Make sure to scrape food scraps and wipe oil and sauce residue from dishes before washing, and never put items that could go in the garbage in the drain. Remember – garbage disposals only break up food particles; they don’t remove FOG.
Here are some examples of FOG: Meat trimmings, soups, gravies, sauces, icing, salad dressing and dairy products.
"I’m going to let the city worry about that problem. That’s why we pay utility fees."
- FOG is a preventable problem in our community, but the solution starts with citizens implementing Best Kitchen Practices in their homes and businesses. Sewer maintenance helps but it’s reactive. With citizen help, we can create a proactive approach! Pump stations, which push wastewater down the sewer main to the water treatment plant, are an essential part of the sewer system. Some of these pumps need to be cleaned every two weeks because they are so clogged with FOG.
"So what do we do?"
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