Fats, Oils, & Grease

What is FOG?
FOG stands for Fats, Oils, and Grease. FOG come from food products such as animal fat scraps, cooking oils, butter, lard, and more. When these substances travel through sanitary sewer pipes, they can accumulate along the sides of the pipes. Accumulated FOG restricts the flow of wastewater and can cause backups and clogs.

City Code
See Chapter 97  of the Altoona Code of Ordinances for a full list of Prohibited Wastes (Section 3) and Restricted Wastes (Section 4).

How to Reduce FOG

• Do not pour liquid fats, oils or grease into drains or flush down toilets. Instead, you can pour liquid FOG into empty jars or other sealable containers and place into the trash.
• If you have a lot of oil to dispose of, you can use cat litter to absorb the oil. Then dispose of it in your regular trash.
• Do not put solid food waste containing fats, oils or grease down the garbage disposal. Solid FOG can be disposed of in the trash.
• Wipe pots, pans, and dishes with dry paper towels before rinsing or washing them. Then throw away the paper towels.

Resources
Des Moines Metropolitan WRA