Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) Program

Keep FOG Out!

Fats, oils and grease enter the sewer through sinks, floor drains, dishwashers and other equipment. Over time, FOG blocks plumbing and sewer lines.

FOG buildup on pipe walls can lead to a sewer overflow in homes, businesses, neighboring buildings, streets and the environment. Sewer overflows create safety hazards that endanger public health and impact our creeks and the Bay.

Prevention = the best solution! Keep FOG out of pipes and the sewer system. Avoid the cost and hassle of a drain cleaning service.

Scrape fat, oil and grease into a container in the trash to avoid messy back ups.

What is FOG?

Fog Myths vs. Reality

FOG "Fix-It" Myth	FOG Reality
Running hot tap water	Water cools, making grease solid again
Room temperature oils	Harden in cold underground pipes, creating FOG buildup
"Grease dissolving" soaps & detergents	Dilute, do nothing to protect your pipes
Garbage disposals	Shred fat into smaller pieces, but don't remove it

At Home

Keep Home Kitchen Drains Fat-Free

Reduce FOG problems at home:

Never pour hot oil or grease into the sink!
Scrape cooled fats from plates and cookware into a container in the trash before washing.
Cold water congeals FOG, making buildup in pipes and sewer laterals less likely.
Throw away expired dairy products, sunscreen, lotion and cosmetics in the trash.

Removing FOG from pipes is expensive and messy. FOG in sewer lines increases the need to maintain City sewers, which raises sewer rates for all customers.

Commercial Food Service Establishments

FOG Control Program

Requirements are applied and enforced through Plan Checks, inspections and education. Inspections happen during business hours. They are not scheduled ahead of time. Inspectors:

check indoor and outdoor areas
review cleaning methods with staff
check records to make sure staff manages FOG correctly.

When finished, a written Inspection Report is provided. If needed, inspectors conduct a follow-up inspection to make sure that any violations are corrected.

Increased enforcement and/or fines will be applied to violations that are:

not corrected
repeated
serious

Wastewater Plan Checks for Remodel / New Construction

Any remodeled or newly built food service establishment requires a City Plan Check to make sure that wastewater properly disposes into the sewer.
Before the City Plan Check, get approval and a stamp on your plans from the Santa Clara County Health Department.

Requirements for Food Service Establishments

All Food Service Establishments that discharge wastewater to the sewer from sources other than standard domestic sanitary assets like toilets and bathroom sinks must submit a completed Food Service Checklist (PDF) with plans for Plan Check. The Checklist:

applies to any business with commercial cooking, including dishwashing and equipment cleaning, that create wastewater with grease in it.
is a guide for designing FOG control that protects the sewer system.
helps building permit applicants, designers and installers of food service establishments to comply with the California Plumbing Code (CPC) and Santa Clara City Code (SCCC).

Fill out all sections using current working data or estimates based on businesses that are like yours.