Fats, Oils, & Grease include animal and vegetable oils/fats used to cook and prepare food. Examples include cooking oil, butter, lard, shortening, margarine, gravy, sauces, meats, sour cream and mayonnaise.
Fats, Oils and Grease Holiday Cooking Reminder
When these items are not disposed of properly and enter the sewer system, over time, the buildup of fats, oils, and grease inside sewer pipes restrict the flow of wastewater from your home to the sewer, which causes sewer backups. Backups can lead to raw sewerage overflowing into our homes, yards, streets, parks and streams. Maintenance and damages caused by buildups of fats, oils and grease are paid for by sewer customers.
The Source Control Program requires producers of fats, oils and grease, including restaurants and certain industries to install either a grease interceptor (which tend to be fitted in large facilities) or a grease trap. Both types need to be regularly maintained. Grease interceptors need to be cleaned out completely by a grease collection service, on an “an-needed” basis – the busier the facility, the more frequent the cleaning. Grease traps need to have the grease removed from them and disposed of in the trash or sent for recycling. Whatever the equipment used, food handling facilities need to implement best management practices to control fats, oils, and grease and document maintenance of their grease interceptors or traps.
The objectives of our fats, oils, and grease program are:
- Eliminate sewer system overflows
- Reduce the amount of fats, oils and grease discharged to the sanitary sewer collection system
- Reduce maintenance costs for the sanitary sewer collection system
- Improve operation of the sanitary sewer collection system
- Educate and provide technical guidance to residents and commercial generators through community outreach
Some of the best management practices’ used by restaurants can be adopted for home use - for example, dry-wiping plates and cooking utensils into the trash, rather than rinsing them off in the sink. This simple step may help prevent your drain from backing up!
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