Grease is clogging sewers nationwide, creating a costly mess to clean up and a dilemma for officials and regulators. Recently, the WALL STREET JOURNAL reported that 75% of the sewer systems in the United States work at only half capacity because of grease clogs. The cost of keeping sewers open, a cost borne by taxpayers at a local level, is a $25 billion per year problem! The increase in grease in sewer lines is a direct result in the phenomenal growth in dual income households who choose to eat out rather than cook at home.

Grease clogs in a sewer line decrease the flow through the lines and compromise system performance. According to Wayne Sobieralski of the California State Water Resources Control Board, “The number one cause of sewer overflows in Southern California is grease blockages”.

In Boston, a 300ft. grease ball with a 36-inch diameter clogged the sewer line under the famous Fanuil Hall area. Across the country and around the world, cities and towns are struggling to manage the growing grease problem.

CURRENT REGULATIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE
No matter if you live in a rural area that relies on septic systems or in a city with sewers, regulators are responsible for overseeing local establishments that are major contributors to the grease problem. The primary challenge for these regulators is to develop programs and solutions that are effective. This means that they will ensure and document compliance with codes. Solutions looked at by municipalities include manatory pumping cycles, monitoring and fines for offenders. Many areas have also reduced the amount of time between mandatory pumping cycles. Voluntary inspections every 30 days are required in some communities, but they are hard to inforce and infrequently done. Many municipalities are rewriting their codes to require the use of new technology as it becomes available.

One thing for certain, given the magnitude and cost of the problem, cities are cracking down. Boston’s current grease trap regulations call for mandatory pump outs every 90 days. New regulations in Atlanta impose fines up to $1,000.00 per day and a mandatory 60 days imprisonment for violation of the local code.

In California (anticipating more stringent EPA regulations), state, regional, and local teams are collaborating to implement a comprehensive program to optimize capacity, management, operations and maintenance(CMOM) of all collection systems.

In St. Petersburg, Fl., a new ordinance is being written that provides an incentive for proactive fats, oil, and grease (FOG) management. Restaurants will be required to pump their tanks every 30 days if they have a garbage disposal and every 60 days if they do not have a garbage disposal attatched to their tanks.

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Some service providers do not properly pump tanks and traps when called for service. In some cases, grease and solids actually have been introduced into the tanks by the pumper. As the cost to dispose of the FOG continues to rise due to the elimination of land applications processes and the refusal of more and more treatment plants to process brown grease, the price to dispose of the grease is driven up and up. Pumpers are being forced to travel greater distances to dispose of the fats, oils and grease, as the number of facilities that will process the grease dwindles. PUMPERS LOOKING TO CUT COSTS AND DISPOSE OF LESS MAY SKIM THE TOP GREASE AND LEAVE THE BOTTOM SOLIDS.

RESTAURANTS
Although pumpers may be responsible for some of the grease problems, they are not responsible for restaurants and facilities that are out of compliance because they just do not service their tanks and traps or because they do not comply with best waste disposal practices. These food service facilities are responsible for staying within area code guidelines and could soon be paying fines for violations.

Source: Water Engeneering & Management

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