Scary descriptions of “monster fatbergs” that have blocked sewer water in Baltimore and the U.K. make for effective newswriting. But clogged-artery metaphors and gross-out tactics aside, fat, oil and grease (FOG) do pose an expensive threat to sanitary sewer collection systems.
The monetary impact nationally is in the neighborhood of $20 billion a year, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, based on sanitary sewer overflows that result in beach closures, stream contaminations, cleanups and repairs. The true cost is likely much higher, because the EPA figure doesn’t factor in increased maintenance and corrosion, according to Plumbing and Drainage Institute Executive Director Max Weiss.