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Cranbrook, BC (November 12, 2026) – Fats, oils, and grease are the main culprit of clogged pipes and drains. When accumulated, they can lead to large backups and costly repairs.

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) are known as organic compounds. Oils and grease are liquid at room temperature but will solidify when cooled, resulting in blockages.

The City is educating the public about the downfall of having butter, cooking oils, meat fats, and leftover grease washing down your drain and entering the City wastewater system. These accumulations across all City restaurants, food establishments, and commercial kitchens result in large sewage backups, and require frequent and expensive maintenance to mitigate.

Business owners can prevent commercial plumbing backups and failures and avoid municipal fines by strictly following Best Management Practices (BMPs) for FOG. These BMPs include pre-treatment requirements and hardware installations, as well as routine kitchen operations and staff habits.

Restaurants and food establishments are required to LIMIT fats, oils, and grease from entering the City system, helping mitigate localized issues and ensure all of our pipes and drains remain clear.

Log Everything
•    establishments must keep and maintain chronological, on-site records of all inspections, services, and hauling manifests

Install Grease Interceptors
•    all wastewater from commercial dishwashers, three-compartment sinks, pot sinks, and floor drains must be through a certified grease trap

Maintain 25% Rule
•    schedule a professional pump-out every 90 days or sooner if the total FOG volume and settled solids are 25% of the tank depth

Install Drain Strainers
•    fine-mesh screen must be over every floor drain, prep sink, and ware washing station to catch all organic food solids before they hit the trap

Two Years of Records
•    provide logs of all grease trap inspections, pumping services, and hauling manifests for at least two years to comply with local regulatory reviews as requested

In addition to LIMIT, restaurants and food establishments should implement routine habits for kitchen operations by taking the TIME to prevent FOG clogs and blockages, and reduce the risk of potential fines.

Thorough Cleaning
•    kitchen staff can use rubber spatulas or paper towels to thoroughly wipe and scrape grease, heavy sauces, and oil residues from pots, pans, and plates into the trash before washing

Isolate Fryer Oil
•    spent fryer oils and grill greases must be collected and disposed into designated heavy-duty bins in preparation for biodiesel recycling services

Manage Mops
•    mop wastewater must only be dumped into designated mop sinks that route directly to a grease interceptor, mop wastewater must never be dumped outside or into storm drains

Eliminate Chemicals
•    establishments are strictly prohibited from using chemical emulsifiers, solvents, enzymes, or biological additives intended to dissolve grease blockages
•    use of chemical agents flush liquefied oil further down the line where it re-solidifies and will result in steep penalties and fines to the establishment

The City’s Sanitary Sewer Source Control Bylaw outlines the specific framework for food service establishments that experience repetitive blockages or operate without the required code-compliant pre-treatment systems. These establishments are subject to strict municipal fines, cost-recovery charges, and mandatory business license audits if found to be out of compliance.

Learn more about how FOG clogs and preventative measures at https://cranbrook.ca/our-city/city-departments/public-works/sanitary-sewer-system/fats-oils-and-grease-management.