STORE IT, DON’T POUR IT
Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) are by-products of cooking – there’s no way around it. How you manage these by-products can have a tremendous impact on home, business and the environment.
Typically, FOG includes things such as:
This is a picture of FOG that was cleaned out of one of the town’s lift stations. The glove in the picture gives you an idea of the size of the FOG that was removed.
- Food scraps
- Meat fats
- Lard
- Cooking oil
- Butter and margarine
- Sauces and more
What you pour down your sink can "drain" your bank account. Fats, oils, and grease can cause sewer backups by blocking the main sewer lines as well as those on private property, causing expensive property damage. The Town of Wembley is asking residents to "store it, don't pour it". Residents are asked to store fats and grease in disposable containers with lids. The containers can then be placed in the garbage. Used cooking oil should be cooled and put into a covered plastic container, and put out for garbage collection. Residents who are disposing of more than one liter of used cooking oil must take it to an Eco Station.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is there a problem with Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) in the sewer system?
A. Improper disposal of fats, oils, and grease by residents can build up in the sewer system and cause blockages. This can result in sewer backup, property damages, and costs to the residents as well as to the Town.
Q. Why can’t the FOG be washed away with hot water and soap?
A. Hot water and soap may remove grease from the dishes but not from the walls of the sewer pipes. Sewer pipes in the ground are fairly cold so any liquid grease in the wastewater solidifies on the walls of the pipe. Eventually, it can build up enough to cause blockages.
Q. Can I just dump it into the toilet instead?
A. No. Wastewater from every toilet, shower, kitchen sink, dishwasher or bathtub is connected to a single sewer pipe from your residence. Therefore all grease laden wastewater ends up in the same sewer pipe.
Q. If I live in an apartment do I still need to worry about this?
A. Yes. Everyone should dispose of cooking fats, oils, and grease in the proper way rather than pouring them down the drain.
