Protect Your Business from FOG Attacks!
Is your restaurant staff properly disposing of fats, oils and Grease?
Restaurants dispose of a lot of fats, oils and grease. It’s the nature of the business. But how it’s disposed of is what matters. Proper disposal can make the difference between free-flowing drains and messy and inconvenient clogs or even bigger issues such as sewer backups and city fines.
When poured down the drain, liquid FOG then cools, becomes solid and then floats to the top of liquids in the drain pipes. These fats also stick to sewer pipes and narrow the area in which wastewater flows, eventually causing clogs and backups. This is why it’s so important to keep FOG out of drains.
Here’s how restaurants need to dispose of fats, oils and grease:
- Dry wipe all food waste from dishware, cookware and work areas into the garbage
- Keep all spilled grease or oil from going down drains by using absorbent materials to block and clean up spills
- Place used oil and grease in a trash bin
- Keep grease traps and interceptors clean
City ReprESEntatives Are here to help
City of Sacramento Department of Utilities representatives regularly visit restaurants to provide information about proper FOG disposal.
Here’s what to expect from these unannounced visits.Use them to your advantage. City reps will:
- Go over city requirements
- Review best management practices for proper food waste disposal
- Inspect grease traps and/or interceptors with a restaurant owner or manager
13.08.040 Prohibited discharges.
The following may not be discharged to the public sewer system except as specifically authorized by other provisions of this code:
Fats, oils and grease in amounts, either alone or in combination with other discharges, that cause: (a) any visible sheen on the surface of the discharged wastewater; (b) any build-up of fats, oils or grease in any portion of the public sewer system; or (c) any obstruction of the public sewer system.
REsources
For downloadable resources, visit our toolkit page!
For more information about fats, oils and grease disposal or clog prevention, contact the City of Sacramento at (916) 264-5011 or 311.