Restaurants and other food service businesses, gas stations with a car wash, laundromats, and commercial laundry services are some businesses required by local laws to install a grease trap or solid waste interceptor. Any businesses that dispose of potentially harmful materials down the sewer must install some interceptor because it is essential for your community's health, safety, and the environment.
Is there a law for grease traps?
Grease interceptors and traps are plumbing accessories that keep grease, oil, and fats from entering the sewer system. Grease from an average household does not pose a significant concern; however, in settings where there are many oil, grease, and fats, an interceptor is a vital source of protection for the sewer. Although the laws on grease interceptors vary from state to state, the majority of governments have guidelines in place regarding the disposal of grease as well as cleaning grease traps, maintenance of interceptors, the size of grease traps, and the amount of grease an establishment is allowed to dispose of in the wastewater system.
Can an ineffective trap cause problems?
Oils, grease, and fats can cause severe problems in the pipes of a sewer system. Grease and oils comprise animal flesh and fats, usually making them tough to dispose of. The grease and oil are not easily broken down and can take a long time to fully decompose, which sticks to the walls of sewer pipes, restricts the flow of wastewater and may cause a blockage, which results in the sewer overflowing.
A grease interceptor must not allow the water to drain effectively into the city's treatment plant. It is estimated that sewers back up about 400,000 times yearly in the United States due to grease blockage. This creates problems in your business and can seep into the environment, causing potential health hazards for your community and surrounding communities. Backups and blockage also disrupt the wastewater utility operations and increase the city's requirements for maintenance and costs. For these reasons, almost all municipalities require a commercial kitchen to install a grease interceptor to collect the grease before it enters the sewer system.
Outside of the potential blockage and sewer backup, grease, oils, and fats can become rancid, an unhealthy state of decomposition that produces toxic fumes and the cultivation of potentially harmful bacteria. These bacteria can pose a severe health risk for anyone that comes in contact with them, including your employees, customers, and the community. The clogs, backup, and overflow also create a smelly and dirty mess which can damage your business, the profits, the property structure, and the environment.
How often should a grease interceptor be cleaned?
Cleaning a grease trap is not a job that anyone enjoys, but it is necessary to maintain a healthy environment. It is vital to stay current with the maintenance and cleaning of all grease interceptors and traps to prevent potential hazards.
The majority of municipalities require grease traps to be cleaned, and routine maintenance is done once each month. However, depending on the trap's size and your business's volume, it may be necessary to have more frequent service. As a business owner, you must schedule regular cleaning to prevent odors, spill-outs, blockage, and pipe damage. Due to the potential hazards and health risks, grease traps must always be cleaned and maintained by a licensed and professional company specializing in grease interceptor cleaning and disposal.
What happens to the grease once it is cleaned from the trap?
The waste retrieved from interceptors and grease traps is known as brown grease, fats, grease, oils, and rotted food solids. A grease-pumping truck pumps the brown grease from the interceptors and grease traps. Most of the brown grease ends up in a landfill; however, newer facilities and modern technology are starting to allow the brown grease to be recycled, often used as a biofuel.
