Fats, Oils and Grease

Grease is the common term for animal fats and vegetable oils, which are categorized as lipids. Lipids are organic molecules essential to animal life for the production of hormones and energy storage. It is usually referred to as oil if a lipid is liquid at room temperature. If it is solid at room temperature, the lipid is referred to as a fat or grease. Fats, oils and grease are a natural consequence of cooking and can also occur naturally in many foods, such as meat. Waste fats and oils are frequently poured down the sink drain. Grease in addition routinely enters the sanitary sewer system as a result of normal kitchen operations, involving residential and food service facility. Large amounts of oil and grease in wastewater cause trouble in the sewer collection system pipes. Grease in warm wastewater may not appear harmful but as the liquid cools, the solidification of grease takes place, which causes buildup in the interior of the pipes, accumulating within a hardened mass. This buildup restricts the flow of sewage and clogs the pipes. Clogged pipes may result in sewer overflows that can cause damage home interiors, health hazards, and threaten the environment. Raw sewage overflowing in parks and streets, and even into homes and yards, requires an extensive and unpleasant cleanup.