Proper handling and disposal of kitchen fats, oils and
grease can help prevent clogged drains and grease blockages in our sewer
lines.
As you clean up after special meals, remember that many of the holiday
season’s delights contain fats, oils and grease that may cling to your
sewer line and cause a sewer backup. Pain in the drain can be avoided
with a little help from you. Scraping plates, pots and pans before washing
or loading the dishwasher not only reduces water consumption, but also
avoids “FOG” clogs, fats, oils and grease (FOG). Keep your kitchen FOG
– including dairy products and olive oil – out of the drain. Landlords,
help your tenants reduce blockages that can be costly to repair by providing
this information to them too!
Restaurants and other food service establishments contribute greatly
to the buildup of FOG in the sewer lines because of the amount of grease
produced during food preparation, cooking, and kitchen cleanup. Grease
blockages may also cause sewage backups into streets and storm drains,
which empty into local creeks and San Francisco Bay, causing environmental
and health hazards. Controlling grease discharge helps to avoid sanitary
sewer overflows, cleanup costs, and property damage.
The good news is that sewage backups caused by grease are easily
preventable! EBMUD is working with the City of Alameda, food service
establishments, the nonprofit organization Baykeeper, and residents
to prevent pollution associated with FOG and to protect the environment.
We urge food service establishments and residents to take the following
steps: |
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Businesses:
- Develop an effective FOG management program for recyclable
grease (yellow), as well as grease removal device waste (brown).
- Apply appropriate Best Management Practices targeted to reduce
the amount of FOG entering your drain lines.
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Residents:
- Pour FOG into a can with a lid or mix it with absorbent materials.
- Wipe down greasy pots or dishes with a paper towel. Dispose
FOG into your kitchen scrap recycling or the garbage.
- Don’t use hot water and soap to wash FOG down the drain. Water
cools on its journey through the pipes and the grease hardens
into clogs further down the pipe.
- Drop off large amounts of cooking oil—like that used
in turkey fryers—for recycling (see below).
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Large amounts of cooking oil from residents can
be disposed of for FREE at three recycling
locations in the East Bay. To date, the drop-off program has collected
more than 1,500 gallons of used cooking oil from residents. The convenient
recycling site is located at:
EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant
2020 Wake Avenue
Oakland, CA
Go to the guard station for directions to the self-service receptacle.
Open seven days a week for all EBMUD residential customers.
For more information, please contact EBMUD, Environmental
Services Division, at (510) 287-1651.
Article courtesy of EBMUD.
