[Adopted 4-17-1998 by Ord. No. 498-1]
A. 
All restaurants, as defined pursuant to § 162-1, are required to install a grease interceptor to receive the drainage from fixtures and equipment with grease laden waste located in the food preparation areas in said restaurants. Said fixtures and equipment shall include warewashing sinks, food prep sinks, prewash sinks for warewashing equipment, woks and other cooking equipment which discharge grease laden liquid waste. Service sinks and mechanical warewashers shall not require connection to a grease interceptor if approved by the Delaware Division of Public Health. If a warewashing sink will be used for washing or thawing food, a separate waste line connection from each sink compartment through an air-gap into the floor sink shall be required, along with a properly sized interceptor downstream of the floor sink. Said alternative use of a warewashing sink for food preparation shall require prior approval from the Delaware Division of Public Health.
[Amended 1-15-2021 by Ord. No. 0121-01]
B. 
All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity and in a location as approved by the Delaware Division of Public Health or the city's Building Inspector.
[Amended 1-15-2021 by Ord. No. 0121-01[1]]
A. 
Food processing or food service facilities that are newly proposed or constructed, or existing facilities which will be expanded or renovated to include a food service facility where such facility did not previously exist, shall be required to design, install, operate, and maintain a grease interceptor in accordance with locally adopted plumbing codes or other applicable ordinances. Grease interceptors shall be installed and inspected prior to issuance of a certification of occupancy.
B. 
Grease interceptors shall be operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and in accordance with this article.
C. 
Where installed, all grease interceptors shall be maintained by the owner of the restaurant or business, at their expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also amended the title of this section, which was formerly Maintenance.
[Amended 1-15-2021 by Ord. No. 0121-01[1]]
A. 
The owners shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal, by appropriate means, of the collected grease material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal, which are subject to review by the appropriate state regulatory agency or by the city's Building Inspector. No person shall dispose of the collected grease waste in the city's sewer, water or refuse systems. Any removal and hauling of the collected grease not performed by the owner or the owner's employees must be disposed of by a currently licensed waste disposal firm.
B. 
All food processing or food service facilities shall prepare and maintain a maintenance log, and make the log available on-site at all times. The log shall include the following information:
(1) 
Restaurant/business name and grease interceptor physical location.
(2) 
Name of grease-disposal service company or employee performing service.
(3) 
Date and time of grease interceptor service.
(4) 
Established disposal frequency and type of service: full pump-out, partial pump-out, on-site treatment (type and nature of operations).
(5) 
Number, capacity, and dimensions of each grease interceptor serviced at the restaurant/business.
(6) 
Dates of cleanout, the depths of the floating FOG layer and settled solids in the grease tank, approximate volume removed, and the name of the employee/licensed sewage handler who cleaned the grease tank.
(7) 
Signature and date of business/restaurant owner or designated responsible party at the time of disposal service.
(8) 
Signature and date of grease disposal responsible party confirming service completion.
C. 
Cleanouts by a licensed sewage handler are required before the combined depth layer of the floating FOG and settled solids total more than 75% of the operating capacity of the grease unit.
D. 
Grease waste shall be contained. All collected grease waste shall be kept and stored in steel or plastic leakproof drums. Disagreeable odors caused by said storage of collected grease waste shall require deodorants to combat said offensive odors. Secondary containment is required for on-site grease waste storage.
E. 
The cleaning of hood filters, kitchen mats and any other equipment that comes into contact with greases and solid wastes, and the dumping of mop buckets, may not be done in a manner that introduces greases and wastes into the stormwater system.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also amended the title of this section, which was formerly Disposal of collected grease material.
[Amended 1-15-2021 by Ord. No. 0121-01[1]]
The City may inspect any establishment for compliance with this article.
A. 
Any restaurant which does not install an approved grease interceptor shall be issued a written notice by the Building Inspector specifying the violation involved, and stating that if the proper interceptor is not installed and approved as required in this article within 15 days of the date of said notice, that the City shall suspend the owner's business license to said restaurant until the proper grease interceptor is installed and inspected. If the delay in installing an approved grease interceptor is occasioned by circumstances beyond the control of the owner of the restaurant, the City Manager may grant, in writing, additional time for installation and approval of the interceptor.
B. 
Whenever there is a violation of § 162-39 and/or § 162-40 of this article, the Building Inspector shall send a written notice to the restaurant, either by U.S. mail or by hand delivery, which specifies the violation involved and which states that if the violation is not corrected within 15 days from the date of said notice, that it shall be in violation of this article and subject to fine and court costs.
C. 
When the City determines that an owner has violated or is violating any provision of this article, or an order issued hereunder, the City may serve upon such owner a written notice of violation. Within five days of the receipt of this notice, the owner must, unless such requirement is waived by the City, submit an explanation of the violation and a plan for the satisfactory correction and protection thereof, to include specific required actions. Submission of this plan shall not relieve the owner of liability for any violations occurring before or after receipt of the notice of violation. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the City to take emergency action or other appropriate enforcement action without first issuing a notice of violation.
D. 
In addition to the fines and penalties herein described, the City may avail itself of any and all civil and equitable remedies for the purpose of stopping continuing violations of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also amended the title of this section, which was formerly Violations and penalties.
[Added 1-15-2021 by Ord. No. 0121-01; amended 11-21-2025 by Ord. No. 1125-02]
A. 
Violations of the provisions of this article shall be a civil offense pursuant to Chapter 126 of the Municipal Code of the City of Rehoboth Beach. Any person who violates this article shall pay a civil assessment established in the City Schedule of Fees and Penalties.[1] Whenever such person has been notified by the Building Inspector or in any other way that he or she is committing a violation of this article, each day he or she shall continue said violation thereafter shall constitute a separate offense punishable by like assessment.
[1]
Editor's Note: The City Schedule of Fees and Penalties is on file in the City offices.
B. 
In addition to the civil assessment herein described, the City may avail itself of any and all legal and equitable remedies for the purpose of stopping continuing violations of this article.