Fats, Oils & Grease

Keep Fats, Oils and Grease out of the Sewer

When it’s washed down the sink, grease from meat fats, lard, oil, shortening, butter, margarine, food scraps, baked goods, sauces and dairy products sticks to the insides of sewer pipes.

Over time it can build up and block an entire pipe on your property or in the street. Moreover home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. Hot water and products, such as detergents that claim to dissolve grease, only pass it down the line; the grease hardens when it gets cold and causes problems elsewhere.

As a result, raw sewage can overflow in your home, in the house next door, or in parks, yards or streets, increasing the risk of contact with disease-causing organisms. Sewage overflows resulting from grease in the system can also mean expensive clean-up costs for your home or business as well as increased operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments.

You can help prevent sewer overflows by following a few simple suggestions:

  • Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.
  • Scrape grease and food scraps into your green yard trimmings container for recycling or the trash for disposal.
  • Take large amounts (up to 15 gallons) of used liquid cooking oil to a recycle center. Here are some nearby recycling stations.
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Rethink What You Flush - Flush Green

Your drains are not a trash can. Properly disposing of your waste will help protect public health and the environment. The water from your home or business (toilet, shower, kitchen, etc.) ends up in one of the most beautiful parts of our community - the San Francisco Bay.

 Throwing anything other than toilet paper down the drains can cause sanitary sewer overflows and will severely impact your plumbing system, the city's sewer system, and the processes at the treatment plant. Please look at the attached flyer to see what not to flush down the drain.