With every business, there are byproducts, some of which are hazardous to both the business itself and the environment. For restaurants and other food-based industries, these byproducts aren’t toxic or even dangerous to handle, but their impact to the environment – and even more pressing, the day-to-day running of the business – are still very real. Through cooking, cleaning, and excess food disposal, FOGS (Fats, Oils, Grease, and Solids) is introduced into the wastewater. Clogging pipes, sewer overflows, damaged treatment stations, odor complaints, and environmental and ordinance fines are just the tip of the fatberg when it comes to not containing and treating FOGS at your restaurant.
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Left untreated, the wastewater from a restaurant will not only damage the restaurant, but also the city’s water pipes and wastewater treatment plant. It’s one of the major reasons cities and counties have fines in place for restaurants to pre-treat their wastewater before it enters the sewers. However, this is more than just avoiding city fines: when your kitchen’s pipes clog, it can shutter your restaurant as wastewater and potentially even sewage flow back into your restaurant from the pipes. To understand the value of grease traps and interceptors, it’s important to understand how FOG (fats, oils, and grease) become an issue in the first place. 