Fats, Oils, Grease Control Devices (FOGS)

Fats, oils, and grease (FOGS) come in a variety of forms. Cooking oil is the obvious culprit, but did you know beverages and foods such as meats, sauces, gravies, baked goods, milk, butter and cheese can also be sources of FOGS?

FOGS is one of the main causes of sewer line backups that are expensive for the food service establishment and harmful to the public health and the environment.

As a result, the State Water Resource Control Board requires the City of Victorville to implement a FOGS Program to prevent sewer overflows under the Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems.

FOGS Permit Required

Pursuant to State requirements that requires all food service establishments to have a Fats, Oils, Grease Control Device (FOGS), the City of Victorville requires a FOGS Permit for all food/beverage service establishments. 

The FOGS application, annual renewal and issuance process is handled by the Business License Division.  For information regarding this process, please contact Contact the Business License Division at businesslicense@victorvilleca.gov or at 760-955-5072.

If you are a new business in the City of Victorville, the Business License Application that you must apply for contains questions that must be answered regarding FOGS.

If you are an existing business in the City of Victorville and do not have a FOGS Permit, please complete the Grease Interceptor Permit Application.  Please email the completed application to the Business License Division at businesslicense@victorvilleca.gov. 

You may also use this form to request a change in service frequency, contact information and/or service provider information.

FOGS Service Manifests Required

Your FOGS device (either a trap or interceptor) must be serviced on an ongoing basis to prevent grease overflow.  The frequency of service will be determined at the time of application and will be reviewed each time the FOGS device is serviced.

Service Manifests are completed by whomever you choose as your Service Provider (for a list of Service Providers, click here).  

Service Manifests are required to be submitted to the Code Compliance Division within 72 hours of service, per the assigned service schedule for your business.

To make submitting the FOGS service manifests easier for Business Owners, the City of Victorville has recently changed the FOGS compliance system to allow for online submission of the FOGS service manifests from the city’s main website at www.victorvilleca.gov under the ‘I Want To…’ tab. This online submission process may be performed now by anyone who has a copy of the manifest.   A photo of the manifest will be required to submit online.  Please click here for instructions on submitting your service manifest online.

Please note that the City of Victorville will no longer accept FOGS service manifests that are faxed or emailed on behalf of the businesses from the Service Providers unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been approved by City of Victorville Code Compliance staff. If approval has not been given to the Service Providers, the businesses will need to submit their FOGS service manifests online through the website online.  A notice has been sent to all FOGS permit holders as well as known Service Providers.

For more information regarding service manifests and their submission, please contact the Code Compliance Division at enforcement@victorvilleca.gov or at (760) 955-5104.

Best Business Practices at a Glance

• Pour all used cooking oil and grease into an approved covered container for recycling to a waste oil rendering facility.
• Scrape dishes, pots, pans and utensils into the trash prior to washing them. Remember to never pour used oil in the drain.
• Install screens in all drains that lead to the sewer to keep out the big particles of food and trash. Screens with holes no larger than 3/8" in any diameter are the top grime fighters and will keep your grease control device working at its peak performance.
• Cut down on the use of excessively hot water. Discharging water temperature above 140 degrees is bad news because it can cause your grease control device to operate less efficiently, leading to an increased chance of backup and overflow.
• Eliminate the use of enzymes and other grease emulsifying chemicals when cleaning.