Trap It! Trash It! Strain It! - Commercial FOG

Fats, oil and grease (or FOG) are part of kitchens – there’s no way around it. How you manage these materials can have a tremendous impact on your business and the environment. Drain and sewer blockages due to FOG accumulation result in costly sewer backups, facility closures, health hazards and possibly fines.

The City of Edmonton Drainage Bylaw and the associated Code of Practice for food sector establishments requires all commercial and institutional food facilities to install and maintain oil and grease interceptors of a proper design and adequate size. Grease interceptors must be installed by a licensed/bonded plumbing contractor.

The diagram below is an example of how discharge pipes from kitchen appliances connect to a common grease interceptor.

These requirements apply to all forms of fats, oils and grease (FOG) not just deep fryer fats, including: 

• dressings, sauces, soups, coffee creamers, ice cream, cooking oil and meat scraps.

FOG can also be released from plumbing fixtures as a result of food preparation activities such as:

• washing and cleaning operations, exhaust hood maintenance activities and waste disposal processes.

How to manage FOG (BMPs)

Best Management Practices (BMP) to minimize the release of FOG in wastewater, include the scraping and wiping of food waste from plates and utensils into the garbage and the use of sink strainers.

The FOG brochures available in English, Chinese and Spanish provide detailed information about how to manage kitchen FOG in the proper way.

New and renovated kitchens

If you are planning to develop or renovate a premise that includes commercial, industrial or institutional food preparation, be sure to include grease interceptors during the planning and design process in order to avoid costly retrofits.

Drainage Bylaw and the Code of Practice for food sector establishments provide complete information regarding the City of Edmonton’s FOG, grease interceptor requirements.

Grease Interceptor Requirements

Examples of fixtures typically requiring a grease interceptor:

• meat thaw sinks
• plate, pot or dishwasher pre-wash sinks
• main wash sinks
• floor drains or troughs that service tilt skillets or large soup kettles
• water wok ranges
• exhaust hood filter cleaning units
• food waste grinder or garburator *
• other fixtures that may release FOG

* A garburator must not be connected to an oil and grease interceptor unless a solids interceptor is installed upstream of the oil and grease interceptor. 

Examples of fixtures that may not require a grease interceptor:**

• general purpose floor drains
• hand wash sinks
• seafood thaw sinks
• food preparation sinks where FOG not present (i.e. vegetable preparation)
• dishwasher *** 

 ** If these fixtures are found to be causing FOG related problems, a grease interceptor may be required at a later date.

*** Unless otherwise approved by the City Manager, if a dishwasher is connected to an oil and grease interceptor, it must be the only device connected to that interceptor.

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