Any commercial or nonresidential facility connected to the city’s wastewater system and involved in the preparation or serving of foods will be subject to the conditions of this article. The purpose of this article is to aid in the prevention of wastewater system damages stemming from contributions and accumulation of fats, oils, and greases into the wastewater system from food service establishments.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
Fats, Oils, and Greases.
Organic polar compounds derived from animal and/or plant sources that contain multiple carbon chain triglyceride molecules. These substances are detectable and measurable using analytical test procedures established in the United States Code of Federal Regulations 40 CFR 136, as may be amended from time to time. All are sometimes referred to herein as grease or oil.
Food Service Establishments.
Those industrial, commercial or nonresidential establishments primarily engaged in activities of preparing, serving, or otherwise making food available for consumption by the public, such as restaurant, commercial kitchen, caterer, hotel, school, hospital, prison, correctional facility, and care institution. These establishments use one (1) or more of the following preparation activities: cooking by frying (all methods), baking (all methods), grilling, sautéing, rotisserie cooking, broiling (all methods), boiling, blanching, roasting, toasting, or poaching. Also included are infrared heating, searing, barbecuing, and any other food preparation activity that produces a hot, nondrinkable food product in or on a receptacle that requires washing.
Grease Interceptor.
A structure or device designed for the purpose of removing and preventing fats, oils, and greases from entering the sanitary sewer collection system. These devices are often below-ground units in outside areas and are built as two-or three-chamber baffled tanks.
Grease Trap.
A device for separating and retaining waterborne grease, oils, and grease complexes prior to the wastewater exiting the trap and entering the sanitary sewer collection and treatment system. Such traps are typically compact under-the-sink units that are near food preparation areas.
Minimum Design Capability.
The design features of a grease interceptor and its ability or volume required to effectively intercept and retain greases from grease-laden wastewaters discharged to the public sanitary sewer.
Public Works Director.
The city public works director.
User.
Any person, including those located outside the jurisdictional limits of the city, who contributes, causes or permits the contribution or discharge of wastewater into the publicly owned treatment works (POTW), including persons who contribute such wastewater from mobile sources, such as those who discharge hauled wastewater.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
All food service establishments discharging wastewater to the city’s sanitary sewer collection system are subject to the following requirements:
(1) 
Grease Interceptor Requirements.
All permitted food service establishments are required to install, operate, and maintain an approved type and adequately sized grease interceptor necessary to maintain compliance with the objectives of this article. All grease interceptors must meet the requirements of the city’s currently adopted plumbing code.
(2) 
Implementation.
All new service establishment facilities are subject to grease interceptor requirements. All such facilities must obtain prior approval from the public works director for grease interceptor sizing prior to submitting plans for a building permit. Existing facilities with planned modification in plumbing improvements will be required to include plans to comply with the grease interceptor requirements. All existing food service establishments, determined by the public works director to have a reasonable potential to adversely impact the city’s sewer system will be notified of their obligation to install a grease interceptor or approved alternative within the specified period set forth in the notification letter.
(3) 
Variance from Grease Interceptor Requirements.
Grease interceptors required under this article shall be installed unless the public works director authorizes the installation of an indoor grease trap or other alternative pretreatment technology and determines that the installation of a grease interceptor would not be feasible. The food service establishment bears the burden of demonstrating that the installation of a grease interceptor is not feasible.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
No user shall allow wastewater discharge from subject grease interceptor, grease trap, or alternative pretreatment technology to exceed two hundred (200) milligrams of oil and grease per liter as measured by methods provided in 40 CFR 136.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
(a) 
Grease interceptor sizing and installation must be approved by the public works director. The grease interceptor must provide for a minimum hydraulic retention time of twenty-four (24) minutes at actual peak flow or twelve (12) minutes at the calculated theoretical peak flow rate as predicted by the city’s currently approved plumbing code fixture criteria, between the influent and effluent baffles with twenty (20) percent of the total volume of the grease interceptor being allowed for sludge to settle and accumulate, identified hereafter as the sludge pocket. The grease interceptor shall have a minimum of two (2) compartments with fittings designed for grease retention.
(b) 
Grease interceptors shall be installed at a location where they shall be easily accessible for inspection, cleaning, and removal of intercepted grease. The grease interceptor may not be installed in any part of the building where food is handled. Location of the grease interceptor must meet the approval of the public works director.
(c) 
All such grease interceptors shall be serviced and emptied of accumulated waste content as required in order to maintain minimum design capacity or effective volume. These devices shall be inspected at least monthly. Users who are required to maintain a grease interceptor shall:
(1) 
Remove any accumulated grease cap and sludge pocket as often as necessary, up to and including daily, but at intervals of not longer than sixty (60) days at the user’s expense. Grease interceptors shall be kept free of inorganic solid materials such as grit, rocks, gravel, sand, eating utensils, cigarettes, shells, towels, rags, etc., which could settle into this pocket and thereby reduce the effective volume of the grease interceptor.
(2) 
Operate the grease interceptor in a manner so as to maintain said device such that attainment of the grease limit is consistently achieved.
(3) 
The use of biological additives as a grease degradation agent is conditionally permissible, upon written approval by the public works director. Any establishment using this method of grease abatement shall maintain the trap or interceptor in such a manner that attainment of the grease wastewater discharge limit, as measured from the trap’s outlet, is consistently achieved.
(4) 
The use of automatic grease removal systems is conditionally permissible, upon prior written approval by the public works director. Any establishment using this equipment shall operate the system in such a manner that attainment of the grease wastewater discharge limit, as measured from the unit’s outlet, is consistently achieved.
(5) 
The public works director reserves the right to make determinations of the grease interceptor adequacy and need, based on review of all relevant information regarding grease interceptor performance, facility site and building plan review and to require repairs to, or modification or replacement of such units.
(6) 
In no case shall the total accumulation of grease, oil, floating materials, and sediment be allowed to occupy more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the capacity of the first stage of the grease interceptor.
(7) 
If sampling test results for an establishment are more than forty percent (40%) of the wastewater discharge limit, and the establishment does not have an approved extension to its cleaning schedule, the establishment shall immediately clean and inspect the trap and will be required to clean its grease interceptor(s) at an interval of thirty (30) days or less, for a period of time to be determined by the city.
(d) 
The user shall maintain a written record of trap inspections, maintenance and copies of the grease transporter’s manifest. All such records will be available for inspection by the city at all reasonable times.
(e) 
Nongrease-laden sources are not allowed to be connected to the sewer lines intended for grease interceptor service.
(f) 
Interceptor access way, with a minimum diameter of twelve (12) inches, shall be provided over each chamber and sanitary tee. The access ways shall extend at least to finished grade and be designed and maintained to prevent water inflow or infiltration. The manholes shall also have readily removable covers to facilitate inspection grease removal, and wastewater sampling activities.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
(a) 
Upon approval by the public works director, a grease trap complying with the provisions of this section may be installed instead of a grease interceptor. The grease trap must be installed in the waste line leading from sinks, drains, and other fixtures or equipment in food service establishments where grease may be introduced into drainage or sewage system in quantities that can effect line stoppages or hinder sewage treatment or private sewage disposal. Under-the-counter types of grease traps and interceptors shall be cleaned at least daily, and shall comply with criteria set by the public works director.
(b) 
Grease trap sizing and installation must be approved by the public works director.
(c) 
No grease trap shall be installed which has a stated flow rate of more than fifty-five (55) gallons per minute, or less than twenty (20) gallons per minute, except when specially approved by the public works director.
(d) 
Grease traps shall be maintained in efficient operating conditions by periodic removal of the accumulated grease as often as necessary, up to and including daily, but at intervals of not longer than sixty (60) days at the user’s expense. No such collected grease shall be introduced into any drainage piping or public sewer.
(e) 
No food waste disposal unit or dishwasher shall be connected to or discharge into a grease trap.
(f) 
Wastewater in excess of one hundred forty degrees (140º) Fahrenheit/sixty degrees (60º) Centigrade shall not be discharged into a grease trap.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
Any person, establishment or entity which fails to comply with any of the regulations and requirements set forth in this article, including, but not limited to, cleaning grease interceptors or grease traps at necessary intervals, providing up-to-date cleaning logs, or which refuses to open grease interceptors or grease traps for inspections by city inspectors or exceeds discharge limits, is in violation of this article, and is subject to the following penalties:
(1) 
Notice of Violation.
The city shall serve any person, establishment, or entity in violation of this article with written notice stating the nature of the violation, and providing a reasonable time limit for satisfactory compliance. This shall not relieve the person, establishment, or entity of liability for any violations occurring before or after receipt of the notice of violation.
(2) 
City-Initiated Grease Interceptor Cleaning.
Should the individual, establishment, or entity responsible for having the grease interceptor or grease trap cleaned fail to do so at intervals necessary to comply with this article, the city has the authority to appoint an available grease hauler to clean the grease interceptor or grease trap to the satisfaction of the city. The cost of the cleaning plus a fifteen percent (15%) handling fee shall be added to the individual’s, establishment’s, or entity’s water utility bill.
(3) 
Termination of Services.
Any user that violates this article is subject to termination of sewer and/or water services. Such user will be notified of the proposed termination of its services and be offered an opportunity to show the public works director cause why the proposed action should not be taken.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
A food service establishment may apply to the public works director for an extension of the required cleaning frequency set forth in the article. The representative of the food service establishment who wishes to apply for the cleaning schedule extension shall notify the public works director, in advance, of the intent to apply for the extension. The public works director may grant an extension on a required cleaning frequency on a case-by-case basis where the user has demonstrated, with defensible analytical results, the specific grease interceptor or grease trap will produce an effluent in consistent compliance with this article if such an extension is granted.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
The city may obtain oil and grease samples from any user’s wastewater discharge to determine compliance with this article. The city may require a user to initiate oil and grease sampling and analysis schedule; (1) upon confirmation of exceedance of the wastewater discharge limitation set forth in this article; or (2) to provide supporting information for variances to the required cleaning schedule. The user shall obtain approval from the city’s public works director of the proposed sampling schedule prior to initiation of the sampling and analyses. The user shall certify the sampling schedule will be carried out as approved. The public works director shall reserve the right to modify a sampling schedule as deemed necessary.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)
When the city must clean or maintain associated grinder pump stations, lift stations, or public sewer lines and the problem is traceable to or known or suspected to be caused by the user’s facility, the user shall be held responsible for the problem and shall immediately clean and inspect the trap and shall enact a more frequent cleaning schedule. The user is also responsible for making payment to the city for resolution of the problem (cleaning of the facilities, etc.) with such payment being made a part of the user’s utilities bill.
(Ordinance 2018-03-19-2 adopted 3/19/18)