The City of Portland spends about $100,000 a year cleaning and
repairing sewer lines clogged by grease, and about $12 million a
year to treat wastewater containing high concentrations of food
waste. Wastewater discharges from commercial food service
establishments are the main sources of FOG (fats, oil and
grease) and other food waste in the city's sewer system. Food
service establishments include bakeries, donut shops, hotels,
supermarkets, meat processors, commercial kitchens, coffee shops
and restaurants. Grease can build up and completely block sewer
pipes. That can create difficult and expensive maintenance
problems for both the city and private property owners. Blocked
sewer pipes can cause raw sewage to back up into homes or
businesses, or overflow into streets and streams. Some areas of
Portland, especially areas with lots of food service
establishments, require more frequent sewer maintenance because
of grease blockages. The city has designated these as
accelerated grease cleaning areas (AGCAs) and c