A good FOG control program is needed to avoid hardened globs of fat, oil and grease from clogging your pipes, causing flooding, producing weapons-grade odor in your lift stations, and gumming up your plant equipment.
The oils and fats that are discharged from restaurants, manufacturing plants, and even your homes aren’t necessarily a problem on their own. These fatty acids are non-polar molecules that are derived from meat, vegetable oils, dairy products and more, but would still require a FOG control program to keep these issues at bay.
What Exactly is FOG and Why is A FOG Control Program Necessary?
FOG (Fat, Oils, and Grease), is the common name for excess animal fats or vegetable oils generated during food preparation. FOG can be found in many cooking ingredients, such as:
* Butter and margarine * Lard * Meat fat * Dairy products * Food scraps * Baked goods
You might think that municipal laws that require businesses to install and regularly clean grease traps would forestall much of that problem, but that isn't the case, and that is just one of several reasons a FOG control program is so important for a city's clean water source.
Without a FOG Control Program, How Does FOG Get into The Sewers?
Without a solid FOG control program, FOG can enter the plumbing system via kitchen sinks or floor drains used in food preparation areas. FOG can stick to pipes over time and cause a reduction in hydraulic capacity, or even complete sewer blockage. This can lead to a sewage leak, also known as a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO).
FOG is a Huge Problem without Proper FOG Control
FOG can be poured down the drain and can build up in pipes, pumps, and other equipment. This can lead to significant problems for wastewater treatment and sewer collection systems, overwhelming your city's wastewater infrastructure and becoming quite the FOG control issue - sometimes causing irrefutable damage.
Without FOG control, there is also a chance the FOG will cause sewer line blockages that can lead to sewer spills - posing a risk to public and environmental health. Overflowing sewers can carry disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and even make their way into rivers, lakes, or beaches.
How Can you (yourself) Help with FOG Control?
Yes, that's right, even you at home can help to do your part and contribute to FOG control. When it comes to the waste that must be gotten rid of, FOG can be best managed by keeping it out of your sewer system. Here are some simple steps to help out maintaining the FOG control:
Contain the FOG. You can collect fats, oils, and grease in a disposable container like a metal can and mix it with absorbent garbage items like coffee grounds or paper towels. FOG control at home is also helped along by installing drain screens in kitchen sinks that catch food waste and can then be disposed of in the trash.
To contribute to helping FOG control, do not dump hot water over 140 degrees F. It is not recommended to pour hot water down a drain connected to a grease trap or grease interceptor, as it will be dissolved if temperatures exceed 140 degrees F.
Properly dispose off food waste. Food waste should be disposed of directly in the trash and not into sinks. This will reduce the amount of FOG that is sent to the sewer, thus contributing to FOG control efforts.
FOG can be recycled. You can collect household FOG items and dispose of them at many facilities. You can do some research to find out where the closest facilities are near you.
What's Does a Long-Term FOG Control Plan Look Like?
In-Pipe Technology has developed a solution to for FOG control to eliminate buildup before it becomes an issue for you. Our proprietary bacteria solution metabolizes FOG naturally and is safe for your system, which in turn becomes an ideal FOG control program.
We don’t use harsh chemicals or surfactants that can cause issues for your pipes and infrastructure because we’re in the business of solving problems for you, not creating them. Once the FOG control system is set up, we run it – saving you time and money.
For more information, feel free to reach out to us directly: 630.509.2488