A.
All food service establishments, including, but not limited to, restaurants, cafeterias, commercial kitchens, and institutional kitchens, shall be required to install and maintain a grease trap. Any such establishment, as of the effective date of this chapter, in the opinion of the health official and/or the Public Works Director not having an adequately designed/engineered grease trap must submit certified plans for purchase, installation and maintenance of the grease trap to the Borough of Somerville within 60 days of adoption of this chapter and installed within 180 days of notice. All other commercial and/or industrial establishments shall be required to install a grease trap when, in opinion of the Health Officer or Public Works Director, such a facility is necessary due to the type of activity/use of the property. The following regulations and requirements shall apply to all external or internal grease traps where such grease traps are installed or required to be installed.
B.
Grease trap construction shall be in compliance with standards specified in accordance with the Plumbing Subcode adopted by the Commissioner of Community Affairs as set forth in the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code 5:23, Subchapter 3.15, Plumbing Subcode.
C.
The design and pertinent engineering data shall be submitted to the Borough’s Code Department for a permit. For facilities with a de minimus capacity (less than 10 pounds), a review and approval by the Plumbing Subcode Official shall constitute sufficient approval prior to construction or installation.
D.
All grease traps shall be maintained by the owner/operator/lessee or assignee, at their expense, in continuous, efficient operation at all times.
E.
It is the responsibility of the establishment owner, lessee or assignee to carry out all proceedings necessary to maintain the facility in good working order. This shall be accomplished by the hiring of a professionally licensed grease remediation company duly licensed to perform this work.
F.
None of the following agents shall be placed directly into a grease interceptor or into any drain that leads to an interceptor:
(1)
Emulsifiers, de-emulsifiers, surface active agents, enzymes, degreasers or any type of product that will liquefy grease interceptor wastes;
(2)
Any substance that may cause excessive foaming in Borough’s sanitary sewers; or
(3)
Any substance capable of passing the solid or semisolid contents of the grease interceptor to the receiving sewer.
G.
The influent to interceptors shall not exceed 140° F. The temperature at the closest point of measurement upstream of the grease interceptor shall be considered equivalent to the temperature of the influent.
H.
Forms showing periodic inspections, including date and employee name or external professional business where applicable, will be maintained by the owner, lessee or assignee and visibly posted in close proximity to the trap. The forms shall be protected from soiling. Copies of maintenance and grease removal records (either by employees of the facility or contracting agents) shall be provided to the Health Officer and the Public Works Director and/or designee, within seven business days of such occurrence.
I.
All food service establishments ("facilities") using a grease trap shall provide copies of a certification to the Health Officer ("certification"), from a service company that the grease traps have been properly installed, are properly maintained and are functioning for their intended purposes a minimum of three certifications per year, but not later than April 30, August 31 and December 31, or as determined by the health official and/or plumbing subcode official for frequency of service. Seasonal facilities, those that operate for only four consecutive months of the year, must submit compliance forms immediately before and immediately after operation in that calendar year.
J.
All existing food service establishments without grease traps shall, at the direction of the Public Works Director, install grease traps and follow the certification schedule as set forth. Existing food service establishments shall have 180 days from the effective date of this chapter to install a grease trap. Vending-machine-only facilities are exempt from the grease trap requirements.
K.
The Health Officer and/or Public Works Director shall require all grease traps to be efficient in operation and if in their opinion the grease trap/interceptor is operating in a deficient manor require (may), at the expense of the owner, lessee or assignee, independent laboratory tests to ascertain the concentration of grease being emitted from the effluent line of the unit. All grease traps shall be cleaned in accordance with the foregoing schedule. If the facilities hire a licensed grease and waste disposal company or qualified recycling company, a copy of the billing should be forwarded to the Borough.
L.
Disagreeable odors shall require deodorant to combat said offensive odors.
M.
In addition to the Borough’s other remedies, should the Borough or its agents incur costs to clean the sewer laterals or sewer lines in the vicinity of the food service establishment due to grease, fats and/or oils, and/or in otherwise responding to a backup caused by such grease, fats and/or oils, which is conclusively shown to originate at a particular facility whether or not the restaurant, cafeteria, institutional kitchen or other facility has a grease trap/interceptor, the owner/operator of the offending restaurant, cafeteria, institutional kitchen or other facility shall be deemed out of its compliance with the requirements of the Public Works Director or this section, and shall be liable to reimburse the Borough and its agents for all such costs.
N.
The Health Officer and/or Plumbing Subcode Official and/or Public Works Director shall have the right to inspect any food service establishment or other facility to confirm compliance with any requirement of § 175-33 herein.
O.
The fee for initial inspections shall be $50 for the initial inspection but may be waived if the inspection is being performed strictly to identify if the grease trap is sized correctly and working properly. The fee for reinspection shall be $100. The schedule and frequency for routine inspections as well as complaint follow-ups listed in Subsection I above can be modified if in the opinion of the Health Officer and or Public Works Director there is a need for more frequent service.
P.
In addition to any other enforcement mechanisms authorized by law or under the Borough Code of the Borough of Somerville, any person, company or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall, on a first offense, be subject to a thirty-day notice to comply with this chapter. Any subsequent offense of any of the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction thereof before the Municipal Court of the Borough, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000. A separate offense may be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.