Fats, oils and grease (FOGS) are by-products of preparing food and cleaning dishes, pots and pans. Over time, FOGS can build up in your sanitary lateral, or in the municipal sanitary sewer and cause blockages, which can result in sewer backup.

Instead of rinsing grease down your kitchen drain, wipe it off with a paper towel and put it in with your food waste, or wait until the grease congeals and dispose of it with your food waste. If you have FOGS to dispose of that won’t congeal, pour them into a disposable water tight container and place the container in the garbage.

If you have a lot of FOGS to dispose of, talk to your municipal government to see if there is a disposal program for large quantities of household FOGS.