Spring has sprung! But hopefully, your grease trap hasn’t. Welcome again to Grease Traps in the News, your one-stop-shop for all things grease-trap related, from all parts of the US and beyond. As always, we’re highlighting the various issues that can arise around grease traps, from failing to meet health, business, and sewer regulations to the importance of regular maintenance and servicing and what failing to do these things can cost you. This time around, we’re covering everything from sewer overflows to grease trap cleaning accidents, and how a restaurant thought it could get away with dumping their sewage into a hole.
[Read more…]Grease Traps in the News: 2018 Fall Edition
This post celebrates the second year of Grease Traps in the news, your one-stop-shop for all grease-trap related news, from all parts of the US and beyond. As always, we’re highlighting the various issues that can arise around grease traps, from failing to meet health, business, and sewer regulations to the importance of regular maintenance and servicing and what failing to do these things can cost you. This time around, we’re covering everything from grease traps flooding residential neighborhoods to better sewers through the power of science (but not in the way you think). [Read more…]
The Science of Grease Backups and Overflows

From Arne Hendriks on Flickr
If you’ve spent any time in Food Grease Trapper blog archives, it should come as no surprise to you when we say “you shouldn’t dump grease down the drain.” However, some people ask why, and aren’t satisfied with the short answers of “your restaurant is required to have one, it can clog your pipes, and damage your sewers water treatment plants.” For those people who want the “why” behind it, we’ve written this blog to look at the science behind horrible things happening to your building and sewer when you don’t have a grease trap installed. [Read more…]
Fatbergs: A United States Without Grease Traps
Fatbergs are massive collections of congealed fat, oils, grease, and solids (FOGS) that form in sewers. We’ve written about them before, and if you’d like a complete definition, please check out Fatberg Ahoy! How Could They Happen? for all the details. Two reasons we’re bringing it up again. First, London, England just had another massive fatberg threaten to completely clog up its sewers. Secondly, to shed light on why this is an issue in the UK but not the United States. [Read more…]
Don’t FOG-get About Your Pipes
FOG. No, we are not yelling about low hanging clouds that make it hard to see some mornings. FOG is an acronym that stands for the Fats, Oil, and Grease. Sometimes referred to as FOGS, which amends Solids to the end of the trio, these items are produced with any successful day in the kitchen of a restaurant or home and will find their way down the pipes to take up residence in the pipes below. These can form clogs, which in turn can cause water back up and flood your kitchen. [Read more…]