| ACWA Home | FOG Home | FAQs | BMPs | Recyclers | Prohibitions | Maintenance | How It Works | Compliance Checklists |
The manual was produced by Brown and Caldwell for the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies. It was funded in part by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, through its Pollution Prevention Incentives for States grant awarded by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Reproduction with credits encouraged.
Fats, oil and grease - - also called FOG in the wastewater business
- - can have negative impacts on wastewater collection and treatment
systems. Most wastewater collection system blockages can be traced
to FOG. Blockages in the wastewater collection system are serious,
causing sewage spills, manhole overflows, or sewage backups in
homes and businesses.
Two types of FOG pollutants are common to wastewater systems. Petroleum-based oil and grease (non-polar concentrations) occur at businesses using oil and grease, and can usually be identified and regulated by municipalities through local limits and associated pretreatment permit conditions. Animal and vegetable-based oil and grease (polar concentrations) are more difficult to regulate due to the large number of restaurants and fast-food outlets in every community.
This manual is written to provide municipal pretreatment staff - - along with restaurant and fast food business managers and owners - - with information about animal and vegetable-based oil and grease pollution prevention techniques focused on their businesses, effective in both reducing maintenance costs for business owners, and preventing oil and grease discharges to the sewer system.
Many of the nation’s fast-food restaurant chains participate in FOG recycling programs. Ensuring that grease trap and grease interceptors are properly installed - - and most importantly, properly maintained - - is more difficult. This manual focuses on proper maintenance of grease traps and interceptors, and includes inspection checklists for municipal pretreatment inspectors.
Manual contents includes:
Knowledgeable municipal pretreatment staff, working with business owners, can effectively prevent oil and grease buildup, and associated problems, for both the sewerage agency and the restaurant owner.