FOG Control Ordinance in Sacramento: Rules, Enforcement, and How to Prepare

Have you ever wondered what happens when too much grease or cooking oil goes down the sink drain? If you're running a restaurant, café, or food prep facility in Sacramento, it’s not just a plumbing issue—it’s a legal one. That seemingly harmless bacon grease or salad dressing could land your business in hot water if you’re not up to speed with the city’s FOG Control Ordinance.

FOG—short for Fats, Oils, and Grease—is more than just a messy byproduct of cooking. Left unmanaged, it clogs sewer pipes, causes sanitary sewer overflows, and contaminates local waters. Sacramento, like many urban centers, has taken a firm stance by implementing detailed rules to regulate and reduce FOG buildup from commercial food service establishments.

This ordinance isn’t just another bureaucratic formality—it’s a proactive effort to protect the city’s sanitary sewer system, drinking water, and public health. For business owners like you, understanding these rules can mean the difference between smooth operations and costly shutdowns.

In this post, we’ll break it all down: what the ordinance is, how it’s enforced, and what steps you can take to stay compliant—whether you're cooking up green beans, burgers, or pre-cooked bacon.

The Origins and Evolution of Sacramento’s FOG Control Ordinance

The problem of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) isn’t new. As cities grew and more people began to cook bacon, gravy, and meat fats in commercial kitchens, municipal sewer systems began suffering under the weight of what was washed down the kitchen drains.

Why the Ordinance Was Needed

Sacramento implemented the FOG Control Ordinance under its Pretreatment Program to comply with the Clean Water Act, prevent grease blockages, and mitigate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).

Key terms to understand:

FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease): Waste byproducts from cooking food products, such as butter, bacon fat, or other oils.
FOG Generator: Any facility that produces fat oil grease, including restaurants, bakeries, and cafeterias.
Grease Traps or Interceptors: Plumbing devices that capture grease, animal fats, and saturated fat before they enter the sewer system.

To better understand what causes FOG issues and how to reduce them, check out these FOG best practices for Sacramento kitchens.

Today’s ordinance emphasizes documentation, reporting, and proactive equipment use—especially as concerns grow around public health hazards and aging cast iron sewer infrastructure.

What the FOG Control Ordinance Requires from You

At its core, the ordinance is about preventing FOG blockages, ensuring grease traps work properly, and keeping track of it all.

Key Compliance Requirements

Grease Removal Equipment: Install grease interceptors suitable for your output level, especially if your kitchen processes meat, fatty acids, saturated fat, baking oils, or animal-based products.
Maintenance Schedules: Clean grease traps every 30–90 days or more often, particularly after preparing foods with butter, sour cream, bacon grease, or other fat oil grease substances. For support with this, explore professional grease trap cleaning services in Sacramento.
Record-Keeping: Maintain detailed logs of grease cleanings, service calls, waste pickups, and inspections—stored either physically or digitally—to help reduce fog buildup and prove ordinance compliance.
Inspection-Ready: Be prepared for unannounced city inspections by ensuring all grease removal equipment is operational and your logs, maintenance records, and service receipts are updated and accessible.
Certified Waste Hauling: Hire certified grease haulers for proper disposal of cooking oil and fats, oils, and grease, and retain copies of service documentation for city verification and records. You can find reliable providers through this Sacramento grease trap pumping directory.

The Benefits of Staying FOG Compliant

Following Sacramento’s ordinance helps your business—and your city.

Why It Matters

Avoid Fines and Overflow Issues: Stay compliant to prevent sanitary sewer overflows, grease blockages, and protect the public health from related hazards and legal penalties.
Protect Plumbing: Regular maintenance prevents fog blockages, minimizes pipe damage, and reduces the risk of expensive service calls for clogged drains or sewer backups.
Safeguard Water Quality: Proper FOG disposal reduces untreated wastewater discharge, protecting drinking water, storm drains, and local waters from contamination by fats oils and grease.
Boost Public Trust: Customers are more loyal to food service establishments that follow environmental rules, reduce fog, and act responsibly regarding grease and food waste.
Streamline Operations: Effective grease trap usage and scheduling improves kitchen drains, supports sanitation practices, and enhances overall safety and workflow in busy cooking environments.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even responsible business owners face hurdles. Let’s explore frequent mistakes, common myths, and practical solutions that can help you stay FOG-compliant.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to schedule regular cleanings: Neglecting grease trap maintenance causes fog blockages, sewer backups, and potential sanitary sewer overflows in the sanitary sewer system.
Using incorrectly sized grease traps: Oversized or undersized interceptors allow fat oil grease to escape into pipes, increasing the risk of fog buildup and system overflow.
Failing to separate food scraps from liquid waste: Allowing food particles, meat fats, or green beans into drains contributes to sewer clogs and untreated wastewater reaching storm drains.
Inconsistent staff training: Without clear training, employees may pour grease, cooking oil, or bacon fat into kitchen drains, contaminating local waters and pipes.
Skipping log entries: Missing service logs or cleaning records leaves your business vulnerable during surprise inspections or compliance reviews by city officials.

Misconceptions

“We don’t deep fry, so FOG isn’t a concern.”
- Even small amounts of animal fats from pie crusts or burgers contribute to fog buildup.
“Annual cleanings are enough.”
- Not for kitchens using fat oil grease daily. Frequency depends on your usage.

Simple Solutions

Use calendar alerts for maintenance: Scheduling trap cleanings ensures consistent upkeep and helps prevent fog blockages from saturated fat and other food products.
Post signage reminding staff not to dump cooking oil or salad dressings down the drain: Visual reminders prevent mistakes and reinforce safe disposal of fats, oils, and grease after food preparation or cleanup.
Implement onboarding checklists with FOG procedures: Teaching new staff about kitchen grease practices avoids common errors and supports long-term FOG compliance in food service establishments.
Try apps like GreaseBook for logging: Digital tools track cleanings, service visits, and grease hauler documentation, keeping your records audit-ready and accessible anytime.

How to Prepare and Stay Compliant

Let’s make implementation manageable, effective, and sustainable for your kitchen—whether you’re serving burgers, baking pies, or managing gravy and bacon fat.

8-Step Compliance Plan

Assess Your Kitchen: Identify fats oils and grease sources—meat fats, gravy, bacon grease, butter, and cooking oil used daily.
Get Guidance: Contact Sacramento’s wastewater department for proper grease interceptor sizing based on your FOG output and kitchen activities.
Install or Upgrade: Install grease traps sized for your facility’s cooking volume, especially when preparing bacon, meat, or fat-rich food products.
Create a Schedule: Clean every 30–90 days or more frequently if you're using saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, or animal fats often.
Track Everything: Log grease trap cleanings, waste pickups, and inspections in a digital or physical log to reduce fog and stay compliant.
Hire Certified Haulers: Use licensed grease haulers for proper disposal of food waste, bacon grease, and other oils from your kitchen.
Train Your Team: Reinforce proper kitchen drain practices, ensuring food scraps, sour cream, and salad dressings never enter the sewer.
Run a Mock Audit: Simulate an inspection to identify gaps in grease trap records, staff knowledge, or maintenance frequency before it matters.

Best Practices

Test and refine your processes: Especially important if your building uses cast iron pipes prone to corrosion from fats oils and grease.
Engage staff during key tasks: During bacon prep, burger grilling, or baking, reinforce how to prevent fog from reaching kitchen drains.
Celebrate clear inspections: Reward teams when inspections pass—boost morale and reinforce a workplace culture of FOG compliance and responsibility.

Want a complete resource for support and services in the area? Visit the Sacramento Grease Trap Services homepage for more guidance.

Looking Ahead: The Future of FOG Management

As Sacramento evolves, so does its approach to FOG.

Coming Trends

Smart Grease Traps: Alerts when cleaning is needed
AI-Driven Logs: Prevent human error
More Enforcement: Transparency through public scoring
Greener Kitchens: Focus on public health and water quality

These tools will make it easier to reduce fog and avoid direct contact with violations or overflow risks.

Conclusion: Make FOG Compliance Part of Your Recipe for Success

Here's your quick summary:

FOG includes fat oil grease, cooking oil, and animal fats.
The ordinance protects the sanitary sewer, public health, and water quality.
Stay compliant with grease traps, logs, and routine cleanings.
Small efforts—like teaching staff not to pour grease down the sink—make a big difference.

Whether you’re managing a busy kitchen or serving bacon and green beans at a family diner, following the FOG Control Ordinance supports your business and Sacramento's environment.

FAQ: Sacramento FOG Control & Grease Disposal

What is FOG, and why is it a problem?

FOG stands for fats, oils, and grease, which can harden in sewer pipes, causing grease blockages, sewer overflows, and damage to the sanitary sewer system.

Can I pour bacon grease or cooking oil down the sink if I flush it with hot water?

No. Even with hot water, bacon fat, butter, and other oils eventually solidify in pipes, leading to fog buildup and public health hazards.

Are all food businesses in Sacramento required to have grease traps?

Yes, most food service establishments must install and maintain grease interceptors, especially if they handle fatty acids, meat, or saturated fat.

How often should grease traps be cleaned?

Typically every 30–90 days, but more frequent cleanings may be needed depending on cooking volume and food products used, like sour cream or gravy.

What should I do with leftover grease and food scraps?

Let the grease cool, then dispose of it in the trash. Food scraps should never go down the drain—they contribute to fog blockages and contaminate local waters.

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