- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Utilities
- Fats, Oils, & Grease
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.
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
- Reduce the number of times you have to clean your grease trap (food service)
- Protect the quality of our water
Learn More
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.
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.
Contact Us
Our Environmental Inspector is available to answer your questions. Please call at 561-742-6405 or Fog@bbfl.us