Fats, Oils, and Grease, or "FOG" is used in or is a byproduct of food processing and preparation. Examples of FOG are cooking oil, butter, lard, shortening, margarine, gravy, sauces, meats, sour cream, and mayonnaise.

FOG discharged into sewer lines can accumulate and result in clogs. Sewage flow can then backup in businesses, homes, streets, or even our natural water systems. If your business is found to be discharging FOG, you may be responsible for cleanup costs, property damage, and upgrading “pretreatment” devices that remove grease from your wash water after it goes down your sink and floor drains. If a sewage backup occurs in your business, you are required to close your business and contact Public Health Seattle King County for an inspection.

Educate all kitchen staff on proper Best Management Practices! Go to Stickers, Posters, Labels for BMP reminder posters on proper FOG management for kitchen staff in English, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Laotian, Korean and Chinese.

It’s the Law: Fats, oils, and grease are prohibited discharges.

• Seattle Municipal Code prohibits the discharge of wastewater containing more than 100 parts per million by weight of fats, oil, or grease (SMC 21.16.300 A. 2).
• A business is in violation if there is a visually evident accumulation of grease originating in the private sewer system (SMC 21.16.300 B).
• Pretreatment devices such as grease traps and grease interceptors must be installed and maintained to intercept grease and oil before it is discharged to the public sewer system

  (SMC 21.16.310 A).

• Pretreatment devices must be maintained in continuously efficient operation at all times

  (SMC 21.16.310 B).

• Download our handy flyer for your kitchen which will help you abide by the law and keep FOG out of your drain (PDF).

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Want to know more?

• For more information on the Fats, Oils and Grease Program and recent Municipal Code changes, please visit our Web site: www.seattle.gov/util/greasefreepipes

• Si desea más información sobre el Programa de Aceites y Grasas y los cambios recientes en el Código Municipal, por favor, visite nuestra página Web: www.seattle.gov/util/greasefreepipes

• Để biết thêm chi tiết về Chương Trình Xử Lý Chất Béo và Dầu Mỡ và các thay đổi mới đây trong Bộ Luật Thành Phố, xin tới trang mạng: www.seattle.gov/util/greasefreepipes

• 有關脂肪、油類與油膩物計劃及市政規定變更之 更多資訊，請查詢我們的網站：www.seattle.gov/util/greasefreepipes

FOG Best Management Practices

Inside the Kitchen

• Never pour oil or grease down the drain.
• Remove leftover fat, oil, grease and food waste from all pots, pans, and cooking equipment prior to rinsing or washing. Scrape food into garbage or food recycling containers.
• Post “No Grease or Food” signs above dish and mop sinks and dishwasher.
• Remove your garbage grinder and install a sink screen.
• Insure all inside sinks and drains have screens and are cleaned on a regular basis.
• Install and properly maintain a grease removal device. Maintain your device routinely by yourself and/or a contractor to ensure that less than 25% of food and grease accumulate in the device. Go to Recycle It! for a list of grease removal device service providers or download FOG Pretreatment Devices and Recycling Services (PDF, 28 kb).

Good	Full

• Keep a log of when you clean your grease removal device. Your log should indicate who performed maintenance, the date cleaned, how much waste was removed, and where it was disposed of.
• Ensure hoods and vents are cleaned on a regular basis and that waste is disposed of properly.

• Write and implement a spill prevention and cleanup plan.

• Clean up all grease spills inside and outside the kitchen as they occur.

Collecting/Recycling Grease

• Collect and recycle cooking FOG. FOG is a commodity if handled properly and should be thought of in that way. Go to Recycle It! for a list of grease recyclers or download FOG Pretreatment Devices and Recycling Services (PDF, 28 kb).
• If you are cleaning your own grease removal device, remember to properly store this waste separate from your recyclable cooking FOG.
• Keep all waste FOG storage containers covered to prevent them from spilling or filling with rain.
• Plan ahead and have FOG removed before storage containers get too full.
• Look up a complete list of contractors available to remove both waste and recyclable FOG at Recycle It!

Outside the Kitchen

• Wash all floor mats, grills, and garbage cans indoors in a mop sink so the waste water goes to a grease removal device. Never dispose of any wastewater outside or in an area where it can flow to the gutter, storm drain, or street.

Read SPU's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Grease to learn more.

Contact Resource Venture for more information or assistance, 206.343.8505 or help@resourceventure.org.