A minor sewage spill in a Richmond Hill subdivision has city officials reminding residents it’s a bad idea to dump fats, oils or grease down a drain.

The city said the “less than” 7,000 gallon spill on Canyon Loop Road in the Live Oak subdivision on Saturday, Nov. 7, was caused by a sewer main clogged up with FOG, which is an acronym for fats, oils and grease.

Saturday’s spill went into a nearby drainage ditch, according to a report filed with the Georgia Enviromental Protection Division. A vacuum truck was called in to remove the blockage.

Richmond Hill City Clerk Dawnne Greene said FOG dumped down drains form “large thick grease balls that clog pipes. Clogged pipes result in sewer backups, spills and create large financial impacts for municipalities.”

She said “with Thanksgiving around the corner, there will a lot more FOG than usual and could result in large grease balls.”

Residents in the habit of dumping FOG down the drain or flushing it down a toilet are instead asked to recycle what they can and let the rest cool, then put it into a disposable container and put the can in the trash.

As for Saturday’s spill, about 4,000 gallons was vacuumed up and put back into the water treatment system and the area was “neutralized” with calcium hydroxide, the report said.