Fats, Grease and Oil

Grease produced during food preparation, cooking, and kitchen cleanup can turn into blockages that may also cause sewage backups into streets and storm drains. Since Alameda's storm drains empty into local creeks and San Francisco Bay, fats, oils and grease (FOG) can become a significant environmental and health hazard. In addition, controlling grease discharge helps to avoid sewer overflows, cleanup costs and property damage. East Bay Municipal Utility District is working with the City of Alameda, food service establishments, the nonprofit organization Baykeeper, and residents to prevent pollution associated with FOG.

Residents
Scraping plates, pots and pans before loading the dishwasher or washing them by hand not only reduces water consumption, it avoids FOG clogs. Keep fats, oils and grease (including olive oil, butter, margarine and other dairy products) out of the drain.

To protect the environment, follow these steps outlined below.

• Pour fats, oils and grease into a can with a lid or mix it with absorbent materials.
• Wipe down greasy pots and dishes with paper towels. Dispose of the FOG in the green cart along with yard waste and food scraps.
  
• Don't use hot water and soap to wash FOG down the drain. Water cools on its journey through pipes and the grease hardens into clogs further down the pipe.
• Recycle large amounts of cooking oil (like that used in a turkey fryer) at these locations.
  

Restaurants

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 clean-up. Restaurants are encouraged to use best management practices to recycle yellow grease and develop waste grease management programs to reduce the amount of FOG from drain lines.