Cranbook
Pipe Clogs: When FOG cools, it solidifies and coats pipe interiors, leading to blockages and potential sewage backups into homes.
Higher Maintenance Costs: FOG requires frequent extensive cleaning of pipes, lift stations, and pumps. Leading to frequent and expensive maintenance costs to property owners and the City of Cranbrook.
Proper Disposal: Instead of pouring FOG down the sink, it should be cooled, scraped into a container, and disposed of in the trash.
Preventative Measures: Using sink strainers to catch food scraps and wiping pots with paper towels can prevent FOG from entering wastewater systems.
What Can Restaurants Do?
Restaurants and commercial kitchens can prevent grease backups, plumbing failures, and municipal fines by strictly following FOG Best Management Practices (BMPs).
Hardware & Pre-Treatment Requirements
• Install Grease Interceptors: Route all wastewater from commercial dishwashers, three-compartment sinks, pot sinks, and floor drains through a certified grease trap.
• Maintain the 25% Rule: Schedule professional pump-outs every 90 days, or sooner if the total volume of FOG and settled solids reaches 25% of the tank depth.
• Install Drain Strainers: Fix fine-mesh screens over every single floor drain, prep sink, and ware washing station to catch organic food solids before they hit the trap.
• Log Everything: Keep chronological, on-site records of all grease trap inspections, pumping services, and hauling manifests for at least two years to comply with local regulatory reviews.
Kitchen Operations & Staff Habits
• Implement Dry-Wiping: Require kitchen staff to use rubber spatulas or paper towels to thoroughly scrape grease, heavy sauces, and oil residues out of pots, pans, and plates into the trash bin before washing.
• Isolate Fryer Oil: Collect spent fryer oils and grill greases in designated, heavy-duty collection bins for biodiesel recycling services.
• Manage Mop Water: Only dump mop wastewater into designated mop sinks that route directly to the grease interceptor. Do not empty them outside or into storm drains.
• Eliminate Chemical Degreasers: Strictly prohibit the use of chemical emulsifiers, solvents, enzymes, or biological additives intended to dissolve grease blockages. These agents simply flush the liquefied oil further down the line where it re-solidifies, which carries steep local penalties.
How Can Residents Help?
Residential FOG Prevention Actions
Residents can prevent household plumbing backups and safeguard local utility infrastructure by practicing proper food-waste disposal habits. Hot water and soap do not dissolve grease permanently—the liquid simply cools, solidifies, and coats the interior of cold sewer pipes.
Routine Disposal Habits
• Scrape the Plates: Wipe food residue, sauces, and gravies off dishes with a rubber spatula or paper towel before washing them. Throw the paper towel into the household garbage.
• Trap and Trash: Pour warm cooking grease into a disposable container. Let it solidify completely, seal the container, and throw it in the trash.
• Catch the Scraps: Place a fine mesh drain basket or strainer over kitchen sinks. These traps stray solid bits before they fall down the pipe.
• Skip the Disposal: Avoid using garbage disposals for meat scraps or oily foods. Disposals chop food into smaller pieces, but they do not stop grease from congealing further down the line.
Local Regulatory Note
Under specific regional frameworks like the City of Cranbrook Sanitary Sewer Source Control Bylaw, food service establishments that experience repetitive blockages or operate without a code-compliant pre-treatment system face strict municipal fines, cost-recovery charges, and mandatory business license audits.
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