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Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG)

The problem and solution

Whenever we eat food at home, eat at a restaurant or even pass by a drive-through, someone has to cook and clean the dirty pots and dishes that remain.

The best, harmless approach to cleaning is to wipe the cooking equipment of the fats, oils and grease before washing it. Foods that float in the dish water should not go down the drain, and foods that fall to the bottom of the sink when washing belong in the trash, too. When that doesn't happen, the fats, oils and grease (FOG) get rinsed right down the drain and end up in our sewers, which are not designed to accept these substances.

FOG sticks to the sides of the sewer pipes and harden inside. They block wastewater flow and clog sewer pipes, which can cause sewers to overflow onto our streets and into our homes and businesses — costing us all a lot of money. This has become a major problem for Miami-Dade County's sewer system.

The damage:

  • Unsanitary public health conditions that breed bacteria, combined with bad odors and high cleanup costs for homeowners, food-service establishments and public works departments.
  • Several million dollars lost each year spent unclogging greasy FOG inside our sewer pipes.
  • Several more millions lost to increase spending on the interference caused by FOG slowing down our sewage treatment plant process, affecting the pumps and generators that clean our wastewater.
  • FOG-related violations impact FOG Discharge Control Permit regulations that can cause monetary penalties that affect the bottom line at food-service establishments.

To work effectively, our sewer system must be properly maintained from the drain all the way to the treatment plant.

Currently, Miami-Dade County and its municipalities, along with the County's sewer system infrastructure, is under Federal Court Order to correct existing problems.

Details about required upgrades and operational changes, including reducing the amount of fats, oils and grease in sewer pipes, can be read in the settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal organizations.

 

Is your kitchen fat free?

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) can create havoc on your business and our sewer system.

Wiping pots, pans and dishes before washing them — so the greasy, fatty sauces, oils, fats and gravy go in the trash — can prevent clogged pipes and costly repairs.

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FOG Training Information & Printable Form

FOG Control Program - GDO Permitted Facilities.

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FSE Guide to Electronic Reporting

Every time the grease interceptor(s) is cleaned/pumped out, you are required to electronically report the date of the pump out and the name of the permitted transporter.

Use the following link to report:

Refer to the DERM liquid waste transporters’ page for the list of transporters currently permitted by DERM to transport brown grease (grease interceptor waste) in Miami-Dade County. The hauler list may change on a regular basis. Contact [email protected] for updates.

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FOG Discharge Control Permit & Requirements

Currently, Miami-Dade County and its municipalities are under Federal Court Order to correct existing problems, including implementing a new FOG Control Program and Ordinance.

The new FOG Control Program and Ordinance was approved by the EPA and the FDEP in September 2017, and by the Board of County Commissioners on February 21, 2018.

The new regulations have become effective starting March 5, 2018.

The FOG Discharge Control Operating Permit requires Miami-Dade County restaurants and other food-service establishments that sell food to install effective FOG control devices.

The new FOG control ordinance provides clear guidelines on the type of FOG control device restaurants must install, and the standards to follow in order to ensure the equipment is well maintained and serviced.

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New FOG Disclosure Requirements

On April 4, 2023, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 23-23, creating section 21-49.2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County. All sellers or lessors of properties containing FOG generators, as defined in section 24-5 of the Code, are now required to disclose the presence of the FOG generator at the time of conveyance or lease. Read the FOG Generator Disclosure Ordinance.

A FOG Disclosure template and fillable FOG Disclosure form are available to download. Please note that the FOG Disclosure Ordinance does not require the use of these specific forms; they are being provided for your convenience.

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Certificate of Use Decision Matrix

For Certificate of Use (CU)/Occupational License(OL)/Local Business Tax (LBT) or similar applications from the Building and Zoning Departments, which require DERM, and DERM-Grease review approval, the applicant can consult this Decision Matrix to verify which category their establishment falls under and at a minimum, what information our DERM-Grease review engineering staff will require during the review of the application. This Decision Matrix can help the applicant save time by have these actions and documents completed ahead of time to submit to the online portal for review for a faster review process. 

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FOG Control Device Guidance Manual

FOG Control Device Guidance Manual 2.5 is intended to assist Miami-Dade County staff reviewing development plans for projects that generate, or have the potential to generate, fats, oils and grease.

It also serves to guide designers and facility owners/managers with what is required for these types of establishments.

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FOG2.5 Plan Submittal Checklist

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Existing Gravity FOG Control Device Condition Assessment

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Existing Hydromechanical FOG Control Device Condition Assessment

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Plan Review Blocks for Municipal and Unincorporated

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List of accepted Hydromechanical Grease Interceptors

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List of accepted Gravity Grease Interceptors as approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection

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Plans and permit submittals

Plans and permit submittals for review are done through the “Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources Plan Status & Application Submittal Portal”, or the online portal.

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Construction Inspections for new FOG Control Devices (Grease Interceptors, Grease Traps)

To request construction inspections for new and approved FOG Control Devices (Grease Interceptors, Grease Traps) installed in Municipalities, email [email protected].

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Did you know?

  • All food service establishments (e.g., restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries, coffee shops, juice bars, etc.,) MUST have a current Grease Discharge Operating Permit (GDO) issued by Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM)
  • All GDO's MUST have a Grease Trap
  • All Grease Traps MUST be maintained and in good working order
  • All Grease Traps MUST be cleaned at the frequency shown on the GDO permit
  • Cleaning a Grease Trap includes pumping all wastewater and waste (FOG, settled solids, etc.,) from the system to a truck licensed by DERM to haul and dispose waste at an approved facility. Skimming, decanting, or putting any wastewater or waste back in the system is prohibited
  • Utilizing an unlicensed liquid waste transporter is prohibited. Licensed transporters MUST exhibit a current year DERM decal on their transport vehicles.
  • Not properly/completely cleaning a grease trap as mandated above (or by your GDO permit) will result in the issuance of a ticket or other enforcement action by DERM
  • Food service establishments MUST report when their grease traps are cleaned. Reporting will be by a simple-to-use internet application.
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Page Last Edited: Mon Oct 7, 2024 1:15:14 PM
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Fats, oils and grease

 
 
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