Fats, Oils, & Grease
The City of Boynton Beach’s Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) management program’s objective is to protect human health, the environment, and City assets from FOG discharge. FOG are by-products of many food items that are prepared in homes and restaurants. When improperly disposed of, and introduced into a collection system, FOG are potential blocking agents and result in excessive maintenance of sewer lines, lift stations, and wastewater treatment plants. When not mitigated, such buildups and blockages may contribute to sewer overflows and the transmission of bacteria, diseases, toxic materials, and/or other hazardous liquids into the environment.
Did you know?
In EPA’s 2004 Report to Congress: Impacts and Control of Sewer Overflows, EPA reported that nearly half of all sewer overflows with a known cause were the result of complete or partial blockage of a sewer line, and half of these blockages were contributed to grease.
EPA’s 2004 report estimated that between 3 billion and 10 billion gallons of untreated wastewater is released nationally due to sewer overflows, and result in 12 percent of reported swimming beach advisories and closings having a known cause.
Locally, there are over 300 facilities in Boynton Beach, such as restaurants, assisted living homes, and schools, that maintain and clean private oil and grease interceptors for the purposes of minimizing oil and grease from entering the City’s collection system, preventing sewer overflows, and protecting our environment.
Residential Customers
Why should I help?
- Prevent grease buildups from blocking sewer lines
- Stop sewer overflows into streets and storm drains
- Save money spent on costly cleanups of sewage spills
- Protect the quality of our water
Audio only version:
Collect
Put oil and grease in covered collection containers
Scrape
Scrape food scraps from dishes into trash cans and garbage bags and dispose properly. Avoid using your garbage disposal.
Cleaning Dishes
- Remove oil and grease from dishes, pans, fryers and griddles
- Cool first before you skim, scrape, or wipe off excess grease.
- Prewash dishes and pans with cold water before putting them in the dishwasher
- Cover kitchen sink with catch basket and empty contents into garbage can as needed
Floor Drain
Cover floor drain with fine screen and empty into garbage can as needed.
Cleaning Products
Utilize environmentally safe cleaning products instead of harsh detergents or cleaners that can damage sewer lines.
Reuse or Recycle
- If you generate large amounts of used cooking oil, reuse or recycle it.
- If you generate small amounts of cooking oil, reuse it as often as possible and then pour it into a container and throw it away. Never pour it down the drain.
Compost
Start a compost pile at your home with scraps that are not meat
Drain Don'ts
- Don't pour oil and grease down the drain
- Don't put food scraps down the drain
Dishwashing Don'ts
- Don't run water over dishes, pans, fryers and griddles to wash oil and grease down the drain
- Don't rinse off oil and grease with hot water
Garbage Disposal Don'ts
Don’t put meats, bones, eggshells, flour, dairy products, pasta, rice, or produce stickers down the garbage disposal. All of these will contribute to sticky and stopped-up messes, and sewer line blockages
Additives Don'ts
Don’t use degreasers as many of these may temporarily break up the FOG discharge, but will reform in the sewer line.
Coffee Ground Don'ts
Don’t put coffee grounds down the drain. Although coffee grounds can smell good in a stinky drain, they stick together in the pipes and can contribute to blockages. It is best to add coffee grounds to your home compost or toss into the trash.
Hot Water Don'ts
Don’t rinse dishes in hot water (more than 140°F). This may “melt” grease, but will reform in the sewer lines.
Alternative Drain Don'ts
Don’t dump FOG discharge down toilets or floor drains.
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Commercial & Industrial Customers
Grease interceptors slow the flow of wastewater, allowing it to cool and FOG to float to the top of the trap. Requirements set forth by the Florida Administrative Code 62-6, mandates the installation of one or more grease interceptors where FOG is produced in quantities that could cause line stoppages, breaks resulting in sewer spills and hinder sewage disposal. Additionally, the City of Boynton Beach Code of Ordinances Chapter 26, Article IV; Division 4, Subdivision D, Sec. 26-144 requires grease interceptors for proper handling of liquid wastes containing FOG.
Examples of FOG generators include, among others, users that prepare, blend, or serve food and/or beverage products, but are not limited to restaurants, cafés, bars, coffee shops, convenience stores, caterers, cafeterias, commercial kitchens, facilities with three-compartment sinks, and commissaries.
Boynton Beach’s design standards allow for 1250-gallon tanks. For projects requiring more than 1250-gallon capacity, interceptors shall be installed in multiples of 1250-gallon tanks in series. The following calculations shall be used when sizing grease interceptors:
V = ([S x HR/12 x GS x RF] + [M X GM X LF]) (Sit-down + take out, drive-thru, banquet, room service, other commercial kitchen use)
Where,
V= Total Grease Volume
S = Number of seats (indoor and outdoor)
HR = Hours of Operation, including prep time and closing
GS = Gallons per seat (25 gallons for ordinary restaurants and 10 gallons for single service article restaurant)
RF = Road factor: use 2.0 interstate highways, 1.5 other freeways, 1.25 recreational areas, 1.0 main highway, and 0.75 other roads.
M = Number of meals, excluding sit-down meals, served per day (take out, drive‐ thru, banquet, room service, other commercial kitchen use)
GM = 5 gallons per meal
LF = Ware washer 1.0, without use 0.75
Learn More
Contact Us
Our Environmental Inspector is available to answer your questions. Please call at 561-742-6405 or Fog@bbfl.us