Overview
FOG -- short for fats, oils, and grease -- is the build-up of cooking fats and food residue that ends up in your sewer line every time you wash a pan, scrape a fryer, or rinse off dishes. Left unchecked, FOG hardens inside the pipes, blocks sewer mains, and causes backups that flood kitchens and contaminate streets. This article walks kitchen staff through what FOG is, why it matters, and the day-to-day practices that keep your establishment compliant with your city's FOG Control Program.
What is FOG and why it matters
What is FOG?
FOG is a shorthand way of saying Fats, Oils, and Grease. FOG is composed of animal and vegetable fats and oils used to cook and prepare food. FOG should be recycled for use in other products, properly disposed of, or land applied.
Why is FOG a problem?
FOG can cause backups in your sewer lines that send sewage into your home or restaurant -- an open invitation for disease and illness. A wastewater system is similar to the human body: wastewater flows through pipes (arteries), is pumped at pump stations (heart), and cleaned by the wastewater plant (kidneys). FOG clogs the pipes in the sewer system the way cholesterol clogs arteries. This makes the pumps work harder and can cause them to fail -- just like having a heart attack.
How does FOG affect you?
Food waste, as well as water that has been used to wash kitchen equipment, dishes, and floors, contains FOG. When FOG is washed or poured down the drain and into the sewer, it cools and solidifies, causing sewer pipes to become clogged.
Over time, FOG builds up and eventually blocks entire sewer pipes, causing sewage backups and overflows. Property damage can result from sewage backing up into the building -- leading to expensive cleanup and plumbing repairs that you are responsible for. Sewage spills and backups can also result in Health Department code violations that can lead to the closure of your business operations.
⚠️ If a sewer spill occurs: immediately stop using water, call a plumber, and call the City. If sewage is released and enters a storm drain, the sewage will flow to the ocean -- causing an immediate public health hazard and possible beach closure.
The City's FOG Control Program
To eliminate FOG-related sewer spills and backups, the City has adopted a maintenance program to frequently inspect and clean the City's sewer lines. The most effective way to minimize FOG accumulation in sewers, however, is to prevent the introduction of FOG into the sewer system in the first place.
To achieve this goal, the City adopted a Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Control Program that regulates Food Service Establishments (FSEs) and provides a mechanism to control and minimize FOG entering the City's sewer system. The program implements a three-part approach:
1. Food Service Establishment FOG Control Program
The FSE FOG Control program provides the City, through the FOG ordinance, with the authority to inspect and monitor the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).
2. Enhanced sewer maintenance and cleaning
Enhanced sewer maintenance activities are scheduled as a result of the City's inspection of the sewer system using a closed circuit television (CCTV) inspection system.
3. Compliance through BMPs
Achieving compliance with the City's FSE FOG Control Program requires the implementation of all of the following BMPs by the FSE through an Employee Training and Awareness Program:
"Dry wiping" pots, pans, dishware, and work areas to remove grease
Spill prevention and proper clean-up methods
Drain screening
Proper dishwashing and equipment cleaning
Recycling FOG
Maintenance of kitchen exhaust filters
Posting "No Grease" signs
Maintenance of grease control devices (grease traps and grease interceptors)
The above BMPs are designed to reduce or eliminate FOG entering the sewer system. Other BMPs not listed may be necessary to further reduce or eliminate FOG.
Best management practices for your kitchen
Dry wipe pots, pans, dishware, and work areas
Removing food waste with paper towels or a spatula from dishes, pans, and work areas by "dry wiping" before washing prevents FOG from entering your sewer system. Washing food waste and FOG into the drains will eventually cause FOG to build up and create costly blockages in your sewer lines. Train employees how to dry wipe by:
Using rubber scrapers or paper towels to remove food waste, fats, oils, and grease from cookware, utensils, pots, and pans before washing. Food waste should be disposed of in a double-bagged trash can.
Keeping dry-wipe tools by the dish washing area for easy access and use.
Using food-grade paper to soak up oil and grease under fryer baskets prior to mopping floors.
Spill prevention and proper clean-up
All employees should be trained on spill containment and proper spill cleanup methods. Preventing spills also helps prevent slip and fall hazards and clogged drains. For spill prevention:
Empty containers before they are full to avoid spills.
Place lids on all containers when transporting liquids, particularly containers with liquid wastes containing FOG.
Provide employees with proper tools (carts with wheels, ample containers) to transport materials without spilling.
Practice effective spill containment and clean-up. Sweep or vacuum spills of dry products.
Restaurants that use large amounts of cooking fats, such as deep fryers, should post their spill response procedures and have a spill kit in an accessible, well-known location. The kit should contain absorbent material -- absorbent pads or kitty litter for liquid spills. To clean a FOG spill, train employees to:
Block off all sinks and floor drains near the spill.
Use absorbent material in the spill kit to completely surround the spill.
Sweep up the used absorbent material and throw it away.
Mop with a degreaser only to remove trace residues.
Install screens in drains
Keeping food particles containing FOG out of the sewer system prevents clogged drains and pipe blockages. Install screens with 1/8-inch or 3/16-inch openings in each floor, mop, and hand sink. Train employees to:
Clean drain screens frequently and dispose of the collected material in a trash can.
Replace damaged or missing screens.
Dishwashing and equipment cleaning
Proper dishwashing and cleaning methods prevent food solids and FOG from clogging drains and causing backups. Train employees to:
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of deep fryers and large pots, then wipe with paper towels before washing. All excess grease and oil should be placed into a waste grease container; throw paper towels in the trash.
Empty grill and broiler drip pans into a waste grease container, then wipe down with paper towels prior to washing. Dispose of the paper towels in trash.
Recycle FOG
All waste fryer oil and cooking grease must be disposed of in designated waste FOG containers. A list of suggested registered liquid waste haulers can be found on Orange County's Health Care website. To recycle FOG, train employees to:
Never throw waste oil down any drain.
Collect and store deep fryer waste oil in a designated recycling container.
Keep FOG waste containers covered at all times and promptly clean all spills and residue.
If FOG waste containers are stored outside, lock and secure the lids to prevent theft, vandalism, and rain getting into the container.
Keep containers in good working order and free of leaks.
If possible, store waste FOG containers indoors. This minimizes the risk of theft and spills.
Maintain kitchen exhaust filters
Routinely clean kitchen exhaust system filters. If filters are not cleaned regularly, grease and oils escape through the kitchen exhaust system and accumulate on the roof of your establishment, eventually entering the storm drain system when it rains. Hood filters can be cleaned by a company or by your own employees. If employees clean hood filters, train them to:
Place the hood filters over a double-bagged trash can. Spray degreaser on the dirty hood filters to loosen the grease and let the excess degreaser drip into the trash can.
Use a paper towel to wipe down the hood filters once the degreaser has been applied.
Dispose of the paper towel in the trash can.
Wash the hood filters with soap and hot water once all the excess grease has been removed.
💡 Tip: Spraying filters with hot water using little or no detergent over a mop sink connected to a grease trap or interceptor can also clean hood filters effectively. After a hot water rinse (the drain must be connected to a grease trap or interceptor), filter panels can be placed into the dishwasher.
Post "No Grease" signs
Post "No Grease" signs near three-compartment sinks and mop sinks to remind your staff that FOG should never be poured down the drain. This serves as a constant reminder to employees to properly recycle FOG and dispose of food waste in the garbage rather than the drain. The City will provide your facility with "No Grease" signs and other FOG-related information that you can use to educate your staff.
Grease control device basics
Grease trap vs. grease interceptor
Grease traps and grease interceptors are both considered grease control devices.
Grease traps are smaller devices, usually 25-100 gallon capacity, typically located inside a food service facility.
Grease interceptors are larger, usually 750 to 2,000 gallon capacity, located underground and outside of a food service establishment.
Both are designed to collect, contain, and remove food solids and grease from wash water while allowing the remaining liquid waste to discharge to the sewer system.
Maintenance of grease control devices
For grease control devices to be effective, the units must be properly sized and maintained to allow adequate time for food solids and FOG to settle and accumulate. Inspecting and cleaning a grease control device is critical to ensure it is functioning properly. Grease control devices are required to be cleaned every 6 months at a minimum. Proof of maintenance can be kept in the online SwiftComply database.
💡 The 25% rule: the total FOG and solids in a grease control device should never be over 25% of the tank's capacity. Always review the maintenance record to confirm it is below 25%. If the grease control device is greater than 25% of holding capacity, you are required to perform a full cleaning of the device.
📝 Note: FSEs that clean their own grease control devices are required to maintain a record of cleaning activities in the FOG Training Manual. Records should include the name of the employee who performed the cleaning, the date and time of cleaning, the amount of grease removed, and the disposal location for the grease.
Grease trap self-clean procedure
When inspecting and/or cleaning your grease trap, confirm that the grease traps contain their internal baffles and inlet piping flow restrictors / air relief during every inspection and cleaning. These components aid in grease removal by reducing turbulence and increasing holding time within the trap.
Self-clean maintenance action plan:
Remove water in the trap to facilitate cleaning. The water should be disposed of in the sewer system.
Remove baffles, if possible.
Remove the accumulated grease out of the interceptor and deposit it in a FOG container.
Scrape the sides, lid, and baffles to remove as much of the grease as possible, and deposit the grease into a FOG container.
Replace the baffle and lid.
Record the volume of grease removed on the maintenance log.
Contact a hauler or recycler for grease pick-up.