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If you stare down a drainpipe, you may be unaware of the danger blankly staring back. FOG in wastewater over time can accumulate and cause damage that is as costly as it is unpleasant to deal with. Fog in wastewater - no, it's not a song by Deep Purple, nor a painting by Van Gogh. This somewhat hard-to-digest phrase may not be common coffee table lexicon, but it does have very real world implications. FOG is actually an acronym standing for fats, oil, and grease. Though that may sound appealing in a fried-bacon-donut sort of way, when combined with wastewater, basically sewage, it makes for a most undesirable cup of soup, no matter what you garnish it with. Images of this gooey refuse pooling in water or clogging up pipes can evoke B-movie otherworldly monstrosities like The Blob or The Stuff, creatures eager to engulf you in their oozy paws. Are you scared yet? In our environmentally conscious society, this is an ongoing concern for many industries that process food or material goods. One may conclude that FOG in wastewater potentially creating a Pizza-The-Hut-type abomination in someone's backyard is their problem. Unfortunately, industries are not the only ones who need to fear being slimed. The threat is everywhere - in your neighborhood, your local eatery, even in your house! The costs for some towns and cities dealing with this problem in cleaning and repairing backed-up sewage lines can be staggering. Who is responsible? What Frankenstein-like madman has unleashed this menace onto an unsuspecting public? Is it some evil corporation? Maybe it's the underhanded plan of Morlocks living in our tunnels and scheming to take over the world (which was my first guess). For the real answer, you need only look in the mirror. Yes, however unwittingly, we've created our own festering and formidable beast. Every time we innocently wash grease, oil, or fat off our pans and dishes and down an unsuspecting drain unable to warn us of our folly, we send goblin-like globules of grime intent on accumulating like viscous tumbleweeds in order to wreak havoc on our often taken-for-granted pipes. Having a backwater valve installed below your lowest plumbing fixture can keep this hidden threat from backing up its foul-smelling witch's brew into your house, but prevention is always the best solution. Yes, we can pull Frankenstein's not-yet-animated corpse off the table before the lightning strikes! Pour all your cooking grease in a jar or can. You can reuse it or let it solidify and throw it out. Wipe your plates with a disposable rag or paper towel before washing them. There are many online resources that can help you combat this problem, but as with anything, awareness is the first step, and knowledge is half the battle. In summation, I will end our journey into the realm of "what's grosser than gross" with a service announcement from my newly-made-up mascot Slimey The Bear: "Only you can prevent FOG in wastewater; only you." Companies concerned with FOG in wastewater can go to http://wilksir.com/applications/oil-in-water-soil-testing/fog-in-wastewater.html.
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