The San Francisco Commercial FOG Program was developed to assist restaurants and food handling facilities with proper handling and disposal of their fats, oils and grease (FOG).  Through implementation of Best management practices (BMPs) promoted by this program, these establishments should be able to significantly reduce the amount of fats, oils, and grease that goes down their drains.  This will minimize back-ups and help business owners comply with the City's wastewater discharge limit of 300 mg/L for Total Recoverable Oil and Grease.

In San Francisco, there are about 5,170 establishments that are permitted by the Department of Public Health (DPH) with a license to sell food.  However, not all of these establishments produce grease (i.e., some have push carts, bars or small places that do not do actual cooking).  The SFPUC inspectors target licensed food service establishments (FSEs) that cook and are likely to discharge oil and grease into the sewers from their food preparation and dishwashing activities –roughly about 2,600 establishments - to educate them about BMPs to keep oil out of the sewers. See the Map of FSEs and the SFPUC inspections in San Francisco.

Program Overview Brochure
The brochure Eliminate Fats, Oils & Grease From Our Sewers provides general program information on:

• Why FOG in the sewers is a problem    
• How FOG impacts businesses, the City, and the environment
• A listing of some of FOG reduction Best Management Practices (BMPs) 
• Where to get more information

• Best Management Practices for FOG prevention, handling and storage;    
• Maintenance of grease traps and grease interceptors;
• Options for recycling or disposing of "yellow grease" and "brown grease"
• Contacts for setting up a composting program or donating excess food.  

This Guide is available in English, Chinese, and Spanish.

Checklists

The information from the San Francisco FOG Program Guide is also provided in an easy to use checklist form.  Food handling establishments can use the one page Inspection Shortlist to quickly evaluate their operations with respect to fats, oils and grease management.  The more comprehensive Self-Assessment Checklist provides greater details and tips on the items found on the Shortlist.  The Shortlist is also available in both Chinese and Spanish.  The longer Checklist is also available in both Chinese and Spanish.

Signs and Posters

The SFPUC also provides tools free of charge that will make FOG reduction efforts more visible to employees such as No Grease signs and Put FOG In Its Place! Posters.  The No Grease signs are multilingual and can be located above sink and floor drains to remind employees not to pour liquid grease down drains.  The colorful posters help educate employees on the Best Management Practices they should follow to help keep fats, oils, and grease out of our City sewers.  The posters are available in English/Spanish or English/Chinese versions.  To get free posters and signs for your establishment, call (415) 695-7310. 

Technical Assistance:  City staff are available to assist businesses in evaluating their operations and implementing FOG Best Management Practices.  Contact the SFPUC Water Pollution Prevention Program at (415) 695-7310 to speak to the FOG Program Manager.

Recycle Your FOG:  Vendors for grease traps, interceptors and recycling can be located in the yellow pages listed under "Grease". 

Compost Your Food Wastes:  Has your facility considered participating in San Francisco's commercial composting program.  Participating restaurants receive a 25% discount on their garbage rates.  For more information contact your garbage collection company:

• Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling (415) 626-4000
• Sunset Scavenger (415) 330-1300.  

Donate Excess Edible Food:  Have you considered donating your excess edible food? Contact the following organizations for more information:

• San Francisco Food Bank (for perishable fresh produce, bread and other packaged food): (415) 282-1900; 
• Food Runners (for perpared, perishable, and frozen food): (415) 929-1866

For more information on the SFPUC's FOG Reduction Program, contact the SFPUC Water Pollution Prevention Program at (415) 695-7310.