What is FOG and how does it pollute the sewer?
"FOG" is the short name for "F"at, "O"il and "G"rease. "FOG" is made from cooking with fat or oil, or from cooking meat.
The "FOG Problem" is: Sewers are blocked by the "FOG" that householders pour into them.
- FOG is a "sewer glue", which sticks to the walls of the pipes and then to anything passing by. The mess builds up into blockages, which cost money to clear, and sometimes cause sewage overflows.
- FOG has to be regularly removed from pumps and other machinery with shovels and high-pressure hoses to stop it clogging them up.
- FOG interferes with the bacterial treatment of the sewage, which costs money to fix.
- Tonnes of FOG are sent to the landfill daily, which you pay for in your rates.
- Small amounts of FOG pass through the system and pollute the sea.
Too much fat clogs your arteries and it clogs your sewers.
Sources of FOG
Restaurants, cafes and food manufacturers in New Zealand get rid of their FOG properly, and are checked on by Local Authorities.
There are no laws about what private houses can put into the sewers.
Don't be FOG-bound!
Stopping FOG going into the sewer is good for the householder and Local Authority.
Stopping FOG going into the septic tank is good for the householder.