The City of Waynesboro through its municipal code (Section 86-139) monitors all businesses that may release any types of fats, oils and grease into its sanitary sewer system.  This monitoring allows us to prevent costly backups into to our lines that could in turn prove to be costly repairs in your internal lines.

It is our intention to monitor businesses once a year unless a problem is found, at which point we will increase our inspections until the problem has been resolved.  During our inspections we will ask to see your manifest or grease removal logs, ask you about your routine cleaning practices and any issues you have had in the past year as well as do a visual inspection of your grease traps or interceptors.  If you have your logs and/or manifests on hand, it will allow the inspection to go quickly.

If you should ever have any questions concerning your grease removal efforts or issues with the removal, please don’t hesitate to call us as we are more than willing to work with any business to make sure that you are in compliance with city code.

               Lesa H. Osteen                                            Audra Sandridge
Environment & Safety Superintendent      Environment & Safety Asst. Superintendent
                                               

Fats, Oil, and Grease
Best Management Practices

Information, Pollution Prevention and
Compliance Information
For Food Service Facilities

City of Waynesboro
Public Works Department
Environment & Safety Division
Oil and Grease Program

 

INTRODUCTION

Food service facilities generate literally tons of cooking oil, grease and food wastes every day. If this waste is not managed properly, it can cause major environmental problems. Animal and vegetable -based oil and grease often enter the wastewater collection system in the liquid form. An important property of oil and grease is its ability to separate and float on the water, in other words, they are hydrophobic compounds. Once in the wastewater collection system these fats, oil and grease cool and solidify. Grease will cling to sewer pipes and the surface of a grease build-up causing a clog to form from the top of the pipe. These blockages and subsequent spills are unsightly, clean-up is difficult, time consuming and costly. Sewage backups in businesses present a potential health hazard as raw sewage may carry harmful bacteria, viruses, and pathogens. Nation wide, 30 to 35% of all sanitary sewer overflows are caused by fats, oil and grease blockages. The Oil and Grease Program will combat the grease problem through regulation, education, inspections and enforcement. This manual is designed to educate facility management and workers in established practices. Grease waste minimization begins at the source. Every food service facility should have a manager or someone in charge of overseeing proper waste disposal from the beginning to the end of the operation. This person must be able to recognize common practices and modify them so that grease wastes are controlled at the discharge point. By having a sound plan for grease disposal the food service facility operator may save hundreds of dollars in reduced maintenance and plumbing costs. Oil and Grease Program officials, working with business owners, can effectively prevent oil and grease buildup, and associated problems, for both the wastewater collection systems and the food service facility owner.

 

Fats, Oil, and Grease Best Management Practices
What is grease?

Everyone knows that oils and grease are used for cooking, baking and preparing foods of all variety, some for private consumption such as in residential homes and some for commercial consumption as in restaurants and cafeterias. Few people realize that grease, fat and oil are lipid-based compounds that originate from animal and vegetable matter. Lipids are substances, including fats, greases and waxes, combined with proteins and carbohydrates that make up structural components of living cells.

Is grease a problem?

In the sewage collection and treatment business the answer is an emphatic YES! Problems range from blocked sewer lines, rancid odors, and potential health hazards, to pump station failure. Large amounts of oil and grease in the wastewater cause trouble in the collection system pipes. It often decreases pipe capacity and therefore, requires that piping systems be cleaned more often and/or some piping to be replaced sooner then otherwise expected. Oil and grease also hamper effective treatment at the wastewater treatment plant.  Concerns caused by wastes generated by food service facilities have served as the basis for ordinances and regulations governing the discharge of grease material to the wastewater collection system. This type of waste has forced the requirements of the installation of preliminary treatment devices, commonly known as grease traps or interceptors.

What is a grease trap?

A grease trap is a device that is installed inside the building or under the sink to separate and retain grease and solid materials from the waste stream while allowing the balance of the liquid waste to discharge to the wastewater collection system by gravity. Baffles in the grease trap retain the wastewater long enough for the grease to congeal and rise to the surface. Traps have a removable lid on the top surface to facilitate inspection and cleaning.

What is a grease interceptor?

A grease interceptor is a device that is installed outside the building to separate and retain grease and solid materials from the waste -stream while allowing the balance of the liquid waste to discharge to the wastewater collection system by gravity. The capacity of the interceptor provides adequate residence time so that the wastewater has time to cool, allowing any grease time to congeal and rise to the surface where it accumulates until the interceptor is cleaned.

What are Best Management Practices?

Best Management Practices are practices that a food service facility operator or anyone who cooks or prepares food can utilize to minimize that amount of grease being discharged from their business. The following Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Food Service Facilities are provided to the owners/managers of businesses to assist them in developing procedures and/or practices which effectively reduce the discharge of Fats, Oil and Grease from their wastewater discharge.

Fats, Oil, and Grease Best Management Practices Manual
Prevent Blockages in the Wastewater Collection System

1. Implement a training program to educate kitchen staff and other employees about how they can help ensure BMP’s are followed. People are more willing to support an effort if they understand the basis for it.
2. Post NO GREASE signs above sinks and on the front of dishwashers. The signs will serve as a constant reminder for staff working in the kitchens.
3. Always use sink basket strainers to collect food wastes.
4. Wipe pots and pans and dish ware out prior to dishwashing. This will reduce the amount of material going to the grease traps / interceptors, which will require less frequent cleaning thereby reducing maintenance costs.
5. Capture accumulated oil during the cleaning of wok stoves and ventilation/exhaust hoods and dispose of through solid waste procedures after absorbing all free liquid.
6. Dispose of food waste by recycling and/or solid waste disposal. Recycling food waste will reduce the cost of solid waste disposal. Solid waste disposal of food waste will reduce the frequency and cost of grease trap /interceptor cleaning.
7. Use water temperatures less than 140EF in all the sinks. Temperatures in excess of 140 degrees F will dissolve grease, but the grease can re-congeal or solidify in the wastewater collection system as the water cools. This has an added benefit for the food service establishment of reducing its costs for the energy used in heating the water.
8. Eliminate the use of garbage disposals and/or food grinders. These devices put large quantities of solids into the collection and treatment systems.
9. Do not discharge caustics, acids, or solvents to the wastewater collection system. Caustics, acids and solvents can have other harmful effects on the wastewater treatment system and can be hazardous to employees working in the wastewater collection system.

Properly Maintain Grease Traps and Interceptors to Prevent Introduction of Grease into the Wastewater Collection System

1. Clean under the sink grease traps a minimum of once per week. If the total volume of captured grease and solid material displaces more than 20% of the total volume of the unit, the cleaning frequency needs to be increased. If the grease trap is not providing adequate protection of the wastewater collection system, the establishment may be required to install a grease interceptor.
2. Clean grease interceptors routinely. Grease interceptors must be cleaned frequently, to ensure that grease accumulation does not cause the interceptor to operate poorly. Grease interceptors not cleaned regularly can produce very unpleasant odors.
3. When contracting with a grease pumper service, it is in your best interest to find out how the contractor will dispose of the waste. Obtain references from other businesses that use their services. Poor disposal practices cause problems, which include odors, creation of rodent habitats and potential threats to groundwater and surface waters.
4. Witness all grease interceptor cleaning and maintenance to ensure the device is properly operating. The food service establishment will ensure it is getting value for the cost of cleaning the grease interceptor. To properly clean the interceptor the entire contents must be removed, which includes the scraping of the walls, floor, baffles and pipework. The return of gray water back into the interceptor is strictly prohibited without the written authorization of the food service facility.
5. Keep a bound maintenance log. The maintenance log serves as a record of the frequency and volume of grease collected during the grease trap/interceptor cleaning. It also serves as a record of all maintenance and repairs pertaining to the grease trap/ interceptor.

Prevent Grease from Entering Surface Waters through the Storm Drain System

1. Cover outdoor grease storage containers so that they do not collect rainwater. Since grease floats on water, the rainwater can cause an overflow onto the ground, which will eventually reach the stormwater system.
2. Locate grease storage containers away from storm drain catch basins.
3. Use absorbent pads or other material to clean up spilled material around outdoor equipment and grease storage containers and dispose of through solid waste procedures. Do not use free flowing absorbent material such as Akitty litter@ that can discharge to the storm drain system.
4. Do not clean equipment outdoors in an area where water can flow to the gutter, storm drain or street.

Grease Trap Maintenance

Maintenance staff or other employees of the establishment usually perform grease trap maintenance. Facilities with grease traps must clean their traps weekly at a minimum or sometimes even daily. When performed properly and at the appropriate frequency, grease trap maintenance can greatly reduce the discharge of fats, oil and grease to the wastewater collection system. In many cases, an establishment that implements BMP’s will realize financial benefit through a reduction in their required grease traps maintenance frequency.

Maintenance Instructions

1. Bail out any water in the trap to facilitate cleaning. The water should be discharged to the wastewater collection system.
2. Remove baffles if possible.
3. Dip the accumulated grease out of the trap and place in a watertight container
4. Scrape the sides, lid, and the baffles with a putty knife to remove as much of the grease and solids as possible. Deposit the waste material in a watertight container.
5. Contact a hauler or recycler for grease pick-up or dispose of through solid waste procedures.
6. Replace the baffles and lid.
7. Record maintenance in maintenance log and include the following:
   1. Date of maintenance
   2. Person performing maintenance
   3. Estimated volume of grease removed
   4. Disposal location
   5. Managers signature or initials for verification

 

Grease Interceptor Maintenance

Grease interceptor maintenance is usually performed by a permitted grease pumper. The pumper’s will empty the entire contents of the interceptor with a pumper truck and haul the grease and sludge to an approved disposal facility.   Facilities with high grease loading may need to clean their interceptors more often. When performed properly and at the appropriate frequency, grease interceptor maintenance can greatly reduce the discharge of fats, oil and grease to the wastewater collection system. In many cases, an establishment that implements BMP's will realize financial benefit through a reduction in their required grease interceptor maintenance frequency.

Maintenance Instructions

1. Contact a grease hauler or recycler for cleaning,
2. Record maintenance in maintenance log and include the following:
   1. Date of maintenance
   2. Person performing maintenance
   3. Estimated volume of grease removed
   4. Disposal location
   5. Managers signature or initials for verification
3. Retain receipt or manifest from grease pumper or recycler.

What records do I need to keep?
You are required to keep the following records:

1. A bound logbook in which a written record of all trap or interceptor maintenance is entered including dates, details of pump-outs or cleaning, details of repairs and any other pertinent records;
2. A written protocol for cleaning the grease trap;
3. A file containing copies of the plumbing system schematics, the permit, and all invoices, bills, etc. related to the maintenance of the grease trap or interceptor.

An inspector will ask to see these documents during an inspection.