Just as fat accumulates and causes blockages in human arteries, oil and grease solidifies and accumulates in household pipes, restricting the flow of wastewater and causing sewer backups and overflows.
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) include animal and vegetable oils/fats used to cook and prepare food. Examples include cooking oil, butter, lard, shortening, margarine, gravy, sauces, meats, sour cream and mayonnaise.
When these items are not disposed of properly and enter the sewer system, over time, the buildup of FOG inside sewer pipes restrict the flow of wastewater from your home to the sewer, which causes sewer backups. Backups can lead to raw sewerage overflowing into our homes, yards, streets, parks and streams.
The untreated wastewater can then flow to local waterways, potentially harming the environment. Not only is FOG costly to the environment, it can also be costly to ratepayers, as the expense of repairing clogged pipes may ultimately impact customers’ monthly rates.