Fats, Oils, and Grease

Oil and Water Do Not Mix

Fats, oils, and grease (or FOG) poured down a drain can clog municipal sewer pipes creating blockages that lead to backups and spills. This common practice could be doing damage to your own internal plumbing at your house or on your property.

To prevent damage to your pipes, flooding in your home, and problems at your local wastewater plant, use a can or other container to collect fats, oils, and grease instead of pouring them down the sink or toilets.

Additional FOG Prevention Tips

• Scrape grease material and food scraps from all cookware and dishware into a can or the trash for disposal.
• Use strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty the drain strainers into the trash for disposal.
• Don’t put grease or greasy food in your home garbage disposal. These units only shred solid material into smaller pieces and do not prevent grease from going down the drain.
• Wipe cookware and dishware prior to washing. Don’t rely on commercial additives in detergents to dissolve grease—they may just pass it down the line and cause problems in other areas.
• Clean kitchen exhaust system filters routinely.
• Talk with your friends and neighbors about the grease problem so that the community is aware of the risk.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District has developed a FOG Facts overview including FOG Best Management Practices for commercial kitchens.