This article shall hereafter be known as the "Borough of Munhall Grease Remediation Ordinance."
[Adopted 12-18-2002 by Ord. No. 1479]
The purpose of this article is to provide minimum standards to ensure public safety and protect the environment by regulating and controlling the discharge of excessive amounts of grease into the Borough's sewer system.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Discharge concentrations greater than 100 part per million (ppm) of grease, oil and fat downstream of a grease interceptor or trap.
Any food establishment in any building, room or place or any portion thereof or appurtenant thereto, where human food or drink is mixed, cooked or otherwise prepared, offered for sale, sold, served or given, with or without charge to patrons, customers or guests for consumption on the premises; provided, however, that this does not include the mixing, cooking or other preparation or serving of food in a single-family dwelling to the resident family or its guest.
An interceptor whose flow rate is greater than 35 gallons per million (gpm) and which is located underground outside the building.
An interceptor whose flow rate is less than 35 gpm and which is located inside the building. Grease traps shall be rated for a minimum of 22.5 gpm.
Generally consisting of courses containing meat or its equivalent, vegetables, bread, pastry, beverages and accompaniments.
Any public eating place where meals are prepared, offered for sale, sold and served to patrons, customers or guests for compensation based on the price charged for and generally paid at the conclusion for each meal.
All buildings or rooms occupied or used as a food preparation facility or restaurant shall be well drained. All soil pipes, waste pipes, drains or other plumbing fixtures shall be of adequate size to enable passage of any waste intended to pass through the pipe to the main public sewer. All drains, sewers, waste and soil pipes, traps in water and gas pipes shall at all times be kept in good condition so that no gasses or odors can escape from and that so same will not leak. Additionally, all vent pipes shall be kept in good condition and free from obstruction.
A.
On or before June 1, 2003, every building, room or space or part thereof used as a restaurant or food preparation facility, whether new or existing, shall install or cause to be installed a grease trap or grease interceptor. The type of installation shall be determined by the total fixture flow through rate of potential grease laden fixtures discharging through the building sewage lines as determined by the Borough Engineer. For flow rates under 35 gpm, an internal grease trap may be installed in certain existing structures used as restaurants and food preparation facilities. Floor flow greater than 35 gpm, an external underground grease interceptor must be installed in all existing structures or change of use involving restaurants and food preparation facilities.
B.
All new restaurants and food preparation facilities shall be required to install an external underground grease interceptor of a minimum 500 gallon capacity, regardless of flow rate.
C.
All existing restaurants and food preparation facilities shall, at a change of ownership or alteration, install an external underground grease interceptor of a minimum five-hundred-gallon capacity. In all existing structures, buildings or parts thereof in which there is a change of use or occupancy to that of a restaurant or food preparation facility, there shall be installed a grease interceptor, minimum five-hundred-gallon capacity, regardless of flow rate. Each grease trap or grease interceptor must be installed by a plumber registered in Allegheny County.
A.
Grease trap or interceptor shall be installed at an appropriate location along the sewer line between the restaurant and/or food preparation facility and the connection to the main public sewer line. An inspection tee shall be installed between the grease trap/interceptor discharge line and the connection to the main public sewer line.
B.
No solid waste device, such as waste grinders, disposal, potato peelers, etc., shall discharge through the grease trap/interceptor. Only potential grease laden fixtures may discharge through the trap/interceptor.
A.
All grease traps and grease interceptors shall be maintained and kept in good working order at all times. The trap or interceptor shall limit the amount of grease discharged into the public sewer system to levels not exceeding those permitted by the Borough of Munhall and ALCOSAN. Oil/grease discharges shall not exceed 100 ppm downstream of the trap or interceptor.
B.
It shall be the duty and responsibility of any owner, lessee or agent of any restaurant or food preparation facility to, at a minimum of quarterly, inspect the grease trap or interceptor. A written record shall be kept of all inspections. The inspection record shall, at a minimum, list the names (inspector and company), address and phone number of the inspection/disposal company, the method and frequency of cleaning schedule and the date of the cleaning/inspection. Such records shall be furnished to the Borough of Munhall upon request. A more frequent cleaning/inspection schedule may be ordered to be performed by the facility when it is determined by the Borough of Munhall that the facility is discharging excessive amounts of grease into the public sewer system.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine as provided in Chapter 1, Article II, General Penalty, of the Code of the Borough of Munhall, plus costs, and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30 days. Each day that a violation of this article continues or each section of this article which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.[1]
B.
Persons in violation of the provisions of this article shall cease to discharge or infiltrate or permit the discharge or infiltration of the violating materials and substances upon receiving 30 days' notice, in writing, to do so. In case the violator neglects or refuses to comply, in addition to the fines set forth above, the Borough of Munhall may proceed to have the violating system disconnected from the public sewer system. All costs associated with the disconnection, together with a penalty of 10% additional thereto, shall be collected from the violator in the manner now provided by law. In addition to the penalties provided above, the Borough of Munhall shall have the right, upon proper notification, to cause water service to the offending premises to be terminated by the provider thereof.
A.
In the discharge of duties, the Borough of Munhall Code Enforcement Officer, Borough Public Works personnel, the Borough Engineer or authorized representative shall have the authority to enter, at any reasonable hour, any restaurant or food preparation facility in the jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this article.
B.
The Borough of Munhall Code Enforcement Officer may cooperate with or delegate his authority to the appropriate official of ALCOSAN or any county agency charged with the duty of enforcing any ordinance or regulations relating to the subject matter within this article.