FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease)

 What is FOG? 

FOG stands for Fats, Oils, and Grease - Substances from cooking that can clog your home's pipes and the sewer system.

What can I do?

POUR - Pour cooled fats, oils, and grease that can clog your home's pipes, and sewer system into a covered disposable container.

WIPE - Soak up spilled oils and grease with an absorbent material, such as paper towels or kitty litter and throw it into your garbage can.

SCRAPE - Before you wash dishes, scrape food scraps, fats, oils, and grease into your garbage can.

CATCH - Use sink strainers to catch any remaining food waste while washing dishes.

Cross Connections

To protect public health, our Cross Connection Control (CCC) and Backflow Prevention Program is committed to help and protect the City's drinking water system from potential contamination.

Cross Connection
A physical connection between drinkable water and liquid or gas that could make the water unsafe to drink. If there is a cross connection, there is a potential threat to public health from the liquid or gas contaminants.

Cross-Connection Control: A Best Practices Guide (EPA 816-F-06-035) discusses the importance of controlling cross-connections and preventing backflow occurrences from unprotected cross- connections in the water system.

Backflow
Water is flowing in the opposite of its intended direction, either from a loss of pressure in the supply lines or an increase in pressure on the customer’s side. In either of these situations, if any affected customer’s pipes include a cross connection, contaminants could be drawn through the cross connection into that customer’s pipes and if the backflow continues, even into the water mains.  

Garden Hoses and Backflow
The garden hose is the most common cross connection. Each of following common uses of a garden hose sets up a cross connection:

• Forcing it into a clogged gutter, downspout, or sewer pipe to flush out the clog
• Connecting it directly to a hose-end sprayer to apply pesticide or fertilizer to your yard
• Connecting it to a soap-and-brush attachment to wash your car, boat, or siding
• Letting the end of the hose lie in a puddle or pool of water on the ground

If backflow happens, your household’s water lines could be contaminated. Depending on how long the event lasts, the contamination could spread to the public drinking water system. Fortunately, there are two inexpensive ways to solve this problem:

• Make sure that the end of your garden hose is never become submerged in or connected to a non-potable substance.
• Install a hose bibb vacuum breaker on each of your outside faucets. These inexpensive devices are designed to allow water to flow in only one direction. You can find them at most home supply stores and through plumbing suppliers. Before you use a hose-end sprayer, you should first install a hose bibb vacuum breaker at the faucet.

City of Panama City Beach Water System’s Role

Our water system’s role begins with good system maintenance and sound operations. By replacing pipes before they break, taking steps to ensure that system pressures do not fall during periods of high demand, and asking for the cooperation of customers when there is a risk that system pressures could fall below safe levels, reduces the risk of backflow.

The City identifies locations where the risk of cross connection is high and ensure that the proper measures are taken to minimize that risk. Below are example of businesses that would be required to install high-grade backflow prevention assemblies and have them tested by a certified tester annually:

• Mortuaries
• Minor Surgery Centers
• Hospitals
• Chemical plants

Another aspect of an effective Cross Connection Control Program is the customer service inspection (CSI). Your public water system must require a CSI to be performed under the following circumstances:

• All new construction;
• Existing customers that have had substantial plumbing modifications;
• Existing customers whenever there is a reason to suspect that a hazard or a source of contamination may be present.

The City staff will notify customers if a CSI is required. You will need to contact an authorized plumbing company to perform the inspection and provide it to the City. 

To help meet future water demand, avoid water shortage, and reduce our dependence on potable water, the City has built a reclaimed water system to provide irrigation water in several areas of Panama City Beach.  Reclaimed water is produced by the advanced treatment of wastewater collected from homes and businesses. 

Reclaimed Water Uses

Landscape irrigation is the only approved use of reclaimed water within City of Panama City Beach. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection sets the standards for required levels of treatment and uses for reclaimed water. These standards are included in the Florida Code of Regulation, Title Chapter 62-610.

Rules and Regulations

There are extensive rules and regulations covering reclaimed water usage. These include proper signage and making sure all pipes, sprinkler heads, meter boxes and other irrigation equipment are marked or color-coded. The City’s Cross-Connection personnel will work with customers to ensure they are in compliance with all state and local regulations.

 Steps for Using Reclaimed Water

Please note: You will need to contact Utilities Compliance Division at (850) 233-5100 ext. 6897 to schedule an inspection to verify all of the above requirements are met. Service will not be initiated until a satisfactory inspection is completed.

Additional Resources

Florida Department of Environmental Protection