Water

FOG Fats-Oils-Grease

Don’t Clog Up Your Fun: The Truth About Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)

Ever wonder where the leftover cooking oil goes after you fry some delicious food? Unfortunately, many people pour it down the drain, not realizing the problems it can cause. Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) are a major culprit behind clogged drains and sewer backups, leading to costly repairs and environmental issues.

Here at Fort Bend County MUD 47, we’re committed to keeping your home’s plumbing healthy and our community’s environment clean. That’s why we’re here to educate you on FOG and how to dispose of it properly.

The Problem with FOG

When you pour FOG down the drain, it cools and solidifies, clinging to the inside of your pipes. Over time, this build-up can cause:

  • Slow drains: FOG clogs can make your sink, bathtub, and shower drain slowly.
  • Sewer backups: If the clog gets bad enough, it can back up into your home, causing a messy and unsanitary situation.
  • Environmental damage: FOG can overflow into storm drains and waterways, harming fish and wildlife.

The FOG Solution: Simple Steps for a Healthy Home and Happy Planet

Here’s the good news – avoiding these problems is easy! Just follow these simple tips for responsible FOG disposal:

  • Scrape, don’t pour: Scrape excess grease, oil, and food scraps off your plates and pans before washing them. Compost the scraps if possible.
  • Let it cool: Allow used cooking oil to cool completely before disposal. Never pour hot oil down the drain!
  • Wipe it up: Wipe any remaining grease from pots and pans with a paper towel. Throw the paper towel in the trash.
  • Collect and recycle: Save your used cooking oil in a container. Look for local restaurants or recycling centers that accept used cooking oil. You can even make biodiesel fuel from it!

Working Together for a Healthy System

By following these practices, you can help prevent costly plumbing problems for yourself and protect our community’s wastewater system. Remember, what you put down the drain doesn’t disappear – it affects everyone.

(more information available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972305386X)

Learn More:

Looking for more information? Visit https://takecareoftexas.org/about-us/blog/dont-put-down-drain for additional tips on FOG disposal and other ways to keep your home’s plumbing healthy. Together, we can create a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

Did You Know?

The Fort Bend County Recycling Center provides a location for  county-wide accessibility to residents for recycling of general home and home hazardous waste (HHW). The center is located at 1200 Blume Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and telephone number is (281)633-7581.

The Recycling Center accepts a long list of items from plastics to paper to oils to household appliances and more. On their website, instruction is given on how to present the materials and whether there is a fee related to the item.

Don’t pour that crawfish boil or fried turkey grease down the storm water drains! Used motor oil, paint, household chemicals, pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline, and other hazardous waste are not to be disposed of in storm drains. This contaminates and pollutes our waterways and that affects us all.

If you are unsure of how to recycle or dispose of any chemicals, oils, greases, batteries, paints, household cleaners, fluorescent lighting bulbs (tubes), please visit their website or give them a call. Don’t endanger yourself and family, your household (and its plumbing), or your environment without investigating proper disposal of any item.

Looking for more information? Visit https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/government/departments/county-services/recycling-center-hhw.

Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) Fee to Increase October 1, 2025

Residents and businesses in Fort Bend Municipal Utility District No. 47 (FBMUD47) will see an increase in their Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) fee effective October 1, 2025. Missouri City’s current GRP fee of $1.99 per 1,000 gallons for groundwater users will increase to $2.39 per 1,000 gallons.

This adjustment is a necessary step in addressing land subsidence and ensuring a sustainable water supply for the growing region.

Understanding Your Water Source and the Need for a GRP

The water delivered to FBMUD47 residents and businesses comes from deep underground sources called aquifers, pumped via groundwater wells. While readily available, excessive groundwater withdrawal can lead to a significant environmental challenge: subsidence –the sinking or settling of the ground surface.The Fort Bend region, experiencing rapid population growth and increased development, has seen groundwater extraction outpace the natural replenishment of aquifers through rain and other sources. This imbalance can exacerbate flooding and lead to other adverse impacts.

The Fort Bend Subsidence District and its Mandates

To combat subsidence, the Texas Legislature created the Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD) in 1989. The FBSD’s primary mission is to regulate groundwater withdrawal, promote water conservation, and encourage the use of alternative water sources within Fort Bend County.

The FBSD has implemented a District Regulatory Plan requiring well owners to:

  • Develop a GRP and submit it for approval by 2008.
  • Ensure that groundwater comprises no more than 70% of total water used by well owners and their customers starting January 2014.
  • Further reduce groundwater use to no more than 40% of total water demand beginning in 2027. (Individual wells serving only one home are exempt from these requirements).

Missouri City’s GRP: A Collaborative Approach

Recognizing that individual water providers might struggle to meet the FBSD mandates independently, the Missouri City Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) was established. This coalition of water providers, including FBMUD47, operates within the City, its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and some neighboring water systems. By working together as a region, the Missouri City GRP can more effectively meet the FBSD’s reduction goals.

How Missouri City’s GRP Reduces Groundwater Use

The cornerstone of the Missouri City GRP’s strategy to reduce groundwater use is the integration of surface water from the Brazos River and Oyster Creek. This involves:

  • Purchasing reliable surface water sources from entities holding Brazos River water rights.
  • Constructing water plants to treat the surface water.
  • Developing a transmission system to deliver the treated water to users.

The City of Missouri City currently purchases Brazos River water from the Gulf Coast Water Authority. A Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant was constructed in 2012 and expanded in 2020 to meet the needs of a growing Missouri City and Sienna, and to comply with FBSD requirements. Additionally, the GRP includes projects for the reuse of water for irrigation, lake amenities, and other purposes.

What is the GRP Pumpage Fee and Why the Increase?

The GRP pumpage fee is a charge levied on groundwater users to help fund the initiatives of the Missouri City GRP. The upcoming increase to $2.63 per 1,000 gallons for groundwater users is necessary to support the ongoing projects and operational costs associated with transitioning to surface water and maintaining the required infrastructure.

These projects include:

  • Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant construction and expansion.
  • Development of transmission lines.
  • Maintenance and operations of facilities.
  • Capital Improvement Projects.
  • Water reuse projects (utilizing treated water from wastewater plants).

It’s important to note that the Fort Bend Subsidence District imposes a substantial disincentive fee – currently $6.50 per 1,000 gallons – on any well owner not complying with the District Regulatory Plan. By participating in the Missouri City GRP and contributing through the GRP pumpage fee, groundwater users avoid this much higher penalty.

The Difference in Fees and Administrative Costs

While surface water is generally more expensive to procure and treat than groundwater, the GRP fee helps distribute the costs across all water users to maintain a lower overall cost. Groundwater users contribute to surface water costs but at a lower rate than surface water users, as they also pay for groundwater treatment. The difference in fees primarily covers the cost of groundwater treatment.

Water providers, such as FBMUD47, may also add a small administrative cost to the GRP fee to cover expenses related to collection, dispersing, and reporting requirements. FBMUD47’s GRP Fee charged to its customers will increase from $2.19 to $2.63 per 1,000 gallons.

Success of the Missouri City GRP

The Missouri City GRP has proven successful in its mission. It is currently exceeding the 40% groundwater reduction mark mandated by the FBSD for 2027, and additional projects are underway to ensure continued compliance.

The GRP fee increase is a vital component of Missouri City’s long-term water management strategy. By transitioning to surface water sources, the community is proactively addressing land subsidence and securing a reliable water supply for future generations. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact the District’s Operator, Municipal District Services at 281-290-6500.

Additional sources of information:

https://www.missouricitytx.gov/documentcenter/view/17654
https://www.missouricitytx.gov/documentcenter/view/17635
https://fbmud47.org