Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Program

What can you do to help reduce FOG waste?

Residents

• Throw grease away. Tossing solid waste in the trash eliminates the potential for sewer overflow. Allow fats, oils, and grease (FOG) to cool to room temperature, then pour it into a disposable container and throw it away into the trash. It's important to keep in mind that home garbage disposals do not withhold grease from the plumbing systems. Never pour the following cooking substances down the drain: cooking oil, pan drippings, gravy, grease, lard, shortening, butter, margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream or other sauces.
• Wipe before washing. Wiping fats, oils, and grease off dishes before washing them manages the amount of grease sticking to the kitchen pipes. Before washing pots or dishes, wipe off cooking oil, salad dressing, and sauces using paper towels. Discard paper towels in the trash afterwards.
• Strain the drain. Defending your drain against food and waste prevents buildup. Place a strainer over the sink drain to prevent substances from falling into the system. If you notice the strainer filling up, dispose of the waste in the trash.

Business Operators

• Train your staff. Trapping oils and grease with paper towels and disposing of them properly can go a long way. Before washing or rinsing pots or dishes, wipe off cooking oil, salad dressing, and sauces using paper towels and discard in designated waste containers. Throw away solid foods before placing dishes in a sink or dishwasher. Other solids, like coffee grounds and tea leaves, should also go in the trash rather than down the drain.
• Keep a clean, FOG-free kitchen. Regularly maintained kitchen equipment prevents build up FOG. Remove all solid grease build-ups from processing equipment, like exhaust systems, by scraping waste into a container for disposal. Pour oily and greasy water used to clean fixtures down a drain equipped with a grease trap and not into an outdoor drain. Outdoor drains flow directly to the river without treatment.
• Clean grease traps regularly. The City of Southlake requires for grease traps to be cleaned at least every 90 days. Based on the amount of grease, many food establishments require a more frequent cleaning. An easy way of knowing when to clean out the grease trap is when the percentage of total accumulation is 25% of the trap.

Check out the links in Helpful Information for some additional FOG Best Practices to help reduce the waste.