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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the City of Austin so concerned about fats, oils and grease?
2. Why are fats, oils and grease a problem?
3. What is the difference between oil and grease?
4. Why are oils that do not solidify a problem?
5. What are the common mistakes people make when disposing of fats, oils and grease?
6. What can I do to help the problem?
7. How should I dispose of fats, oils and grease?
8. What about restaurants and the large amounts of fat, oil and grease they use?
9. What about using my garbage disposal, hot water or detergent to wash grease down the drain?
10. May I recycle motor oil, too?
1. Why is the City of Austin so concerned about fats, oils and grease?
The improper disposal of fats, oils and grease by Austin Water Utility (AWU) residential and business
customers causes sewage back-ups, sanitary sewer overflows and very costly repairs. Sewage spills must
be eliminated because they pose a threat to public health and the environment. Since April of 1999,
the City of Austin has been under an Administrative Order from the United States Environmental
Protection Agency to address persistent problems with sanitary sewer overflows. The Austin Clean Water
Program has spent over $200 million dollars in rate payer funds to make needed improvements to the
AWU wastewater collection system. However, given the significant role that fats, oil and grease play
in the problem, infrastructure improvements alone can not eliminate the problem. Current grease
disposal habits by all AWU customers must change!
2. Why are fats, oils and grease a problem?
The problem with fats, oils and grease is that they are not particularly compatible with any kind
of piping. The fats, oils and greases from cooking oil, butter, meat drippings, shortening and sauces
are only partially soluble in water. If disposed of using the drainage system, these substances
congeal, coagulate, and stick to the drainage piping, forming tough deposits that grow each time
such greasy waste enters the pipes. Whether these deposits form on the homeowner's piping or the
city sanitary sewer lines, the end result is a clogged pipe and usually an expensive repair. These
blockages may also be accompanied by foul odors, significant property damage, and environmental harm
in some cases.
3. What is the difference between oil and grease?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are very different substances.
Grease is the solid white residue left over in the cooled pan after frying meat such as bacon. Oil,
such as vegetable oil, is the liquid left over from frying foods and never turns into a solid.
4. Why are oils that do not solidify a problem?
Many oils actually do solidify at lower temperatures and therefore clog the system. Even if they
don't solidify they often bind to other forms of fats and grease. Some oils move through the system
so quickly that they cannot be fully broken down in the treatment process, and therefore pass through
to the receiving stream.
5. What are the common mistakes people make when disposing of fats, oils and grease?
When many people are finished cooking, they tend to dump left-over cooking grease, oils and food
scraps down the sink and simply turn on the garbage disposal. Another common mistake is rinsing
dishes in the sink with hot water to remove the grease residue left on plates. Hot water may serve
only to push the potential clog further down the pipe, often meaning that the eventual blockage
may be even more costly to repair.
6. What can I do to help the problem?
Avoid pouring fats, oils and grease and food scraps down the kitchen sink. Instead, pour the grease
into a sealable container, freeze and dispose in the trash when the container is full. Large amounts
of cooking oil may be recycled. Before putting your dirty dishes in the sink, wipe off excess grease
with a paper towel and throw the paper towel in the trash.
Proper disposal prevents grease buildups from blocking sewer lines; stops sanitary sewer overflows
into streets and storm drains; and ultimately protects the quality of Austin's water resources.
7. How should I dispose of fats, oils and grease?
Small quantities of fats, oils and grease should be left to cool and then stored in the refrigerator
or freezer. Once the container is full it can be discarded in your household garbage. Smaller
amounts of cooled grease, salad dressings and sauces can be absorbed with a paper towel and tossed
into the garbage.
Larger quantities of household cooking oil and grease can be taken to:
8. What about restaurants and the large amounts of fat, oil and grease they use?
Restaurants discharging to the AWU sanitary sewer system must have a grease trap. These devices
are designed to separate and retain the fats, oils, grease and solids that go down the drain.
The trap contents must be removed routinely to ensure that the trap's holding capacity for
grease and solids is not exceeded. The Austin City Code specifies that all grease traps must
be completely emptied and cleaned at least once every three months, or whenever grease and
solids accumulate above a set threshold. Restaurants are also monitored periodically for
compliance with City of Austin effluent limitations. Restaurants are also subject to individualized
wastewater rates, which allows the City of Austin to recover costs associated with treating
extra-strength wastewater as determined by site specific monitoring.
9. What about using my garbage disposal, hot water or detergent to wash grease down the drain?
These methods won't prevent grease from building up in sewer pipes. Home garbage disposals do not
remove grease from the plumbing system - they simply reduce the particle size of items that don't
belong in the plumbing to start with. As the hot water cools down, the fats, oils and grease
in the wastewater simply coagulate further downstream. Similarly, detergents that claim to
dissolve grease may simply emulsify it until the temperature cools, resulting in blockages
that occur further down the pipe.
10. May I recycle motor oil, too?
Please do NOT combine motor oil or other automotive waste with cooking oil and grease. Motor
oil will contaminate cooking oil and grease and then it cannot be recycled. Keep automotive
waste separate from cooking fats. Motor oil is a hazardous waste and should never be put in
the trash, poured down the drain or dumped on the ground. A single quart of motor oil can
pollute 250,000 gallons of water. Several businesses around town accept motor oil from the
public free of charge for recycling. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality keeps track
of these companies and has provided a list to the City of Austin's Solid Waste Services Department.
For more information about Motor Oil recycling visit the Solid Waste Services Website.
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