
New FOG disposal laws and local regulations may impact your restaurant more in the years to come
Include any substance such as a used vegetable cooking oil or animal product that is used in, or is a byproduct of, the cooking, deep frying or food preparation process, and that turns or may turn viscous or solidifies with a change in temperature or other conditions.
Uncontrolled and/or inadequately controlled discharges of Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) into municipal sanitary sewage systems has caused a significant number of raw sewage overflows resulting in public health risks and negative impacts to waterways. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed two rules to address this problem:
The SSO Rule (Sanitary Sewer Overflow)
CMOM Rule (Capacity, Management Operations and Maintenance of Sewers)
Both of these rules require municipalities to establish regulations, rules and procedures to control FOG disposal requirements and enforcement of FOG regulations. The EPA's Report to Congress on combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) identified that "grease from restaurants and other industrial sources are the most common cause (47%) of reported sewage blockages." Grease and Oils, in particular, are the most problematic because they solidify, reduce conveyance capacity, and block proper sewage flow. Controlling FOG discharges will help publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) prevent or lower the risks of blockages that impact sewage overflows, which cause public health issues and can impact water quality issues. Controlling FOG discharges from Food Service Establishments (FSEs) is an essential element to prevent sewage overflows, blockages, and reduce costs for all municipalities.
What is the source of FOG at Food Service Establishments?
Fats, Oils, and Grease captured on-site are generally classified into two broad categories: yellow grease and grease waste. Yellow grease is derived from used cooking oil and waste greases are separated and collected at the point of use by the food service establishment.
The annual production of collected and uncollected grease that enters the sewage treatment plants today are significant and ranges from 800/lbs. to 17,000/lbs. per year/per restaurant.
Our Intelligent Oil Management process is a closed-loop system, which means that you can remove the risk to your employees, and eliminate accidental or incidental FOG run-off and spills. All these may lead to costly fines, compliance issues, and community health concerns. Even with a rendering process in place, oil run-off adds up, causing issues to your customers and the community you serve.