Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content
  • myStratford

City of Stratford Logo

Contact Us
  • Visit Us
    • Parking
    • Public Restrooms
    • Destination Stratford
  • Live Here
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
    • Britannia Street Housing Project
    • Cemetery
    • Children's Resources
    • Climate Action
    • EarlyON Perth County
    • Education
    • Emergency Services
    • Extreme Heat
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Garbage Collection
    • Heritage Stratford
    • Library
    • Maps
    • Parking
    • Pet Ownership
    • Property Taxes
    • Social Services
    • Stratford Police Services
    • Transportation
    • Utilities
    • Wastewater and Stormwater
    • Water
    • Wildlife
    • Senior's Resources
  • Play Here
    • Community Organizations
    • Advertising
    • Facilities
    • Parks & Forestry
    • Recreation Programs
    • Register for Programs
    • Sports Wall of Fame
    • Upcoming Events
  • Do Business
    • investStratford
    • Available Properties
    • Bids and Tenders
    • Business Licensing
    • Community Profile
    • Our Industries
    • Stratford Perth Centre for Business
  • Inside City Hall
    • A to Z Services
    • Accountability and Transparency
    • Accessibility
    • Advisory Committees
    • Animal Control
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
    • Awards
    • Bid Opportunities
    • Budget
    • By-laws
    • City Council
    • Contact Us
    • Cooper Block
    • Departments
    • Employment
    • Market Square
    • Mayor
    • Municipal Accommodation Tax
    • Municipal Elections
    • News & Public Notices
    • Privacy Statement
    • Procedural By-law Review
    • Respectful Community
    • Strategic Priorities
    • Terms of Use
    • Website Feedback
HomeLive HereWastewater and StormwaterFats, Oils and Grease

Fats, Oils and Grease

  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Open new window to share this page via Pinterest Pinterest
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Email this page Email

Live Here

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) are among the biggest contributors to backups in Stratford’s sanitary sewer system. Here is some background information about the issue, and what you can do to help protect this important infrastructure. 

Where does FOG come from?

FOG is primarily food-related, and comes from things like:

  • Meat fats (bacon)
  • Cooking oils
  • Lard or shortening
  • Butter or margarine
  • Dairy products
  • Salad dressings and sauces

What’s the issue with FOG?

When fats, oils and grease are washed down the sink or toilet, these substances solidify and stick to the inside of sanitary sewer pipes. Over time, that buildup reduces the capacity of the pipe, and can even block it completely. Using hot water or detergent to wash FOG down the drain only breaks those substances down temporarily. They will solidify again.

The end result is a sewer backup, in which raw sewage overflows into your home, yard or street.

And that means additional maintenance work for the City, potentially costly repairs for the homeowner, threats to the environment, and a compromised sanitary sewer system that does not operate as efficiently as it could.

What can you do to help?

  1. Try to limit putting fats, oils and grease down sink, drains or toilets
  2. Place cooled grease into a non-recyclable container, and dispose of it in the trash when it has hardened
  3. Scrape food scraps or solidified FOG into the trash
  4. Use a paper towel to wipe fats, oils and grease from plates and cookware before washing them
  5. Use a strainer in the sink drain to catch food solids


Collect oil and grease and dispose in the trash, do not dispose down the toilet or drain

  • Wastewater and Stormwater
    Toggle Section Wastewater and Stormwater Menu
    • Fats, Oils and Grease
    • Sanitary Service Ownership
    • Sewer Subsidy Programs
    • Draining Your Pool or Hot Tub
  • View Full Live Here Menu
    Toggle Section
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
      Toggle Section Applications, Licenses & Permits Menu
      • Bicycle Licensing
      • Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates and Change of Name
      • Business Licence
      • Encroachments
      • Lottery Licensing
      • Marriage and Civil Ceremonies
      • Pet Ownership
      • Special Events and Municipal Alcohol Policy
      • Outdoor Special Events
    • Britannia Street Housing Project
    • Cemetery
    • Children's Resources
    • Climate Action
      Toggle Section Climate Action Menu
      • Green Recognition Program
    • EarlyON Perth County
    • Education
    • Emergency Services
      Toggle Section Emergency Services Menu
      • Ambulance
      • Fire
        Toggle Section Fire Menu
        • Community Reports
        • Communications
        • History
        • LODD Memorial
        • Stations and Apparatus
        • Suppression
        • Emergency Preparedness
        • Fire Prevention
          Toggle Section Fire Prevention Menu
          • Fire By-Laws
        • Public Education
          Toggle Section Public Education Menu
          • Fire Extinguisher Training
      • Health Care
      • Police
    • Extreme Heat
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Garbage Collection
      Toggle Section Garbage Collection Menu
      • Green Bin
      • Hazardous Waste
      • Landfill Site
      • Leaf and Yard Waste
      • Recycling Collection
      • Textiles
      • Treasure Hunt Weekend
    • Heritage Stratford
      Toggle Section Heritage Stratford Menu
      • Award Programs
        Toggle Section Award Programs Menu
        • Blue Plaque Program
        • James Anderson Award
      • Heritage Permits
      • How to Designate Your Property
      • Designated Properties
      • Non-Designated Properties
      • Heritage Conservation District
      • Heritage Conservation Loan and Grant Programs
    • Library
    • Maps
    • Parking
    • Pet Ownership
    • Property Taxes
      Toggle Section Property Taxes Menu
      • Property Assessment
      • Property Tax Rates
      • Tax Bill Information
      • Tax Bill Payment Options
      • Tax Calculator
      • Tax Sales
    • Social Services
      Toggle Section Social Services Menu
      • Anne Hathaway Daycare
      • Children's Services
      • Homelessness
      • Housing
        Toggle Section Housing Menu
        • Housing Access Centre
        • Perth and Stratford Housing Corporation
      • Ontario Works
    • Stratford Police Services
      Toggle Section Stratford Police Services Menu
      • About Stratford Police
      • Services and Reporting
        Toggle Section Services and Reporting Menu
        • Background Checks
        • Police Fee Schedule
        • Freedom of Information Requests
        • Community Equity Action Team
      • Crime Prevention
      • Careers
    • Transportation
      Toggle Section Transportation Menu
      • Stratford Municipal Airport
      • Parking
      • Rail
      • Roads
      • Transit
      • Parallel Transit
      • Pedestrian Crossovers
      • School Travel Safety
    • Utilities
    • Water
      Toggle Section Water Menu
      • Water Annual Reports
      • Water and Sewer Rates
      • Drinking Water Source Protection
      • Frozen Water Services
      • Discoloured Water
      • Service Line Warranties of Canada
    • Wildlife
    • Senior's Resources

Contact Us

Subscribe to page updates

Stratford logo

  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Website Feedback
  • Privacy Statement

© 2019 The Corporation of the City of Stratford, P.O. Box 818, Stratford, Ontario, N5A 6W1, 519-271-0250

View our Facebook Page View our Twitter Page View our LinkedIn Page
By GHD Digital
Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.