Fats, oils and grease

City law requires businesses to keep fats, oils and grease (FOG) out of sanitary sewer pipes.

Definition

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) in your wastewater can:

  • Reduce the pipe's ability to operate properly
  • Discharge the waste to the sanitary sewer system
  • Cause environmental problems

City law requires businesses that generate wastewater containing FOG to take part in our FOG control program.

These businesses include:

  • Food service establishments, such as restaurants
  • Other industrial or commercial establishments that generate FOG wastewater

Read City ordinance 511.300

pipe clogged with fats, oil and grease

Requirements

We want to work with you to:

  • Prevent FOG problems
  • Keep the community’s sewer system running properly

Information and rules about FOG control

Tips to reduce FOG in businesses

Cooking oil

  • Extend the life of your cooking oil. To do this, you can:
    • Strain or filter oil in deep fryers
    • Control the temperature of deep fryers, which prevents oil from scorching
  • Recycle cooking oils and leftover grease into a storage container such as a:
    • Barrel
    • Bucket
  • Teach staff to use less fat, oil and grease when making food.

Cleanup

  • Remove FOG and food waste from pans before using water. Dry cleanup methods reduce water consumption and save money. Examples:
    • Use rubber scrapers to remove FOG from cookware.
    • Use absorbent paper to soak up FOG under fryer baskets.
    • Use paper towels to wipe down work areas. (Do not use cloth towels. They accumulate grease that will eventually end up in your drains when washing.)
  • Minimize the use of dish soap when washing dishes. Dish soap:
    • Emulsifies FOG and enables it to pass through a grease interceptor
    • Will later coagulate in sewer lines
  • Do not use your garbage disposal to grind up FOG and flush it down the drain.

Grease traps

  • Remember that grease is valuable. Grease and oil can be recycled into other useful products. Search the internet for “grease traps” or “greases” to find:
    • Grease collection companies
    • Grease trap service providers
  • Maintain your grease trap.
    • Many restaurants have a grease trap installed in the kitchen.
    • To keep your grease trap working properly, get it cleaned according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
    • Grease traps should not be more than 25% filled to operate properly.
chef cooking in restaurant

FOG prevention flyer

Share our flyer with your staff. The flyer is available in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
Download flyer

Request accessible format

If you need help with this information, please email 311, or call 311 or 612-673-3000.

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Contact us

Minneapolis Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Program

Surface Water and Sewers
Public Works

Email Minneapolis FOG Program

Phone

612-673-5899