Fats, oil and grease need clear thinking

摘要

1. Water companies are responding to 370,000 sewer blockages each year caused by fats, oil and grease (FOG) blockages, costing the country 88Μ a year 2. Preventing FOG being discharged is always preferable to treatment, which is why water companies are currently investing time and resources into education campaigns for customers, and particularly food service establishments (FSEs). 3. Gravity separation, air flotation and electroflotation are the main techniques available for FOG removal 4. Any system must respond to the fact that flows of FOG are sporadic, and research shows that longer retention times can improve performance 5. A new method for quantifying FOG will allow more rigorous testing of biological additives to be undertaken in the future 6. Water companies and their customers, businesses and local authorities will all need to collaborate to tackle the FOG problem effectively