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1. What is FOG?

FOG refers to Fats, Oil, and Grease from food preparation, food services, and kitchen clean-up. It is generated in most types of restaurants and food service establishment kitchens.

2. Why is FOG a problem?

When poured down the drain, FOG can cool and congeal in pipes, pumps, and equipment, causing significant problems in the community's sewer system and wastewater treatment plants. Typical problems include sewer line blockages that can lead to sewer overflows and spills that cause environmental and health hazards, odors, property damage, and loss of customers.

3. Why should I care about FOG?

Restaurants and food service establishments contribute greatly to the build-up of FOG in the sewer lines because of the amount of grease produced during cooking, food preparation, and kitchen clean-up. If your establishment is found to cause a sanitary sewer overflow because you have not controlled grease discharge, you may be responsible for the clean-up costs, any fines resulting from the discharge, as well as the costs associated with property damage resulting from the spill. Your facility's public image will also be impacted by sewer problems.

4. What is Required?

All restaurants and food service establishments in Lake County are required to install, utilize, and properly maintain gravity grease interceptors or hydro mechanical units (Lake County Sewer Use Ordinance section 605 and section 606). Penalties for non-compliance range from fines to disconnection of service.

5. What are some proper FOG handling and storage methods?

• Never pour cooking oil or grease into sinks, floor drains, or into a parking lot or storm drains.
• Dispose of or recycle cooking oil and grease through a licensed waste hauler or grease recycle.
• Inspect your grease interceptor frequently. To function properly, no more than 25% of the depth of the gravity grease interceptor should be floating oil, grease, and accumulated sediment on the bottom of the interceptor.
• All interceptors should be inspected frequently, and serviced (cleaned) regularly.
• Practice "dry clean up". Use scrapers and paper towels to pre clean serving ware, pots, pans, and cooking surfaces prior to cleaning them with soap and water.