Grease Trap Regulations Explained
If you operate a restaurant, Septic Tank Cleaning or any establishment that uses a food waste grinder, your local sewer authority may have already contacted you about grease trap regulations. They may have encouraged you to install a FOG control device like an interceptor or grease trap and urged you to reduce your FOG discharge through kitchen Best Management Practices (BMP). In addition, they might be asking you to invest in a grease trap monitoring system that helps you keep track of how much sludge and scum build up in your grease tank.

Regardless of the type of grease control device you choose, all restaurants are required to regularly inspect and maintain their grease traps, at their own expense. They are also required to have their grease traps cleaned before the amount of grease in the trap reaches 25% of its capacity, or once every month for internal grease traps and every six months for external grease traps. During these inspections, written logs of cleaning and pumpings must be maintained on-site.

Commercial Grease Disposal Methods

A well-functioning grease trap is essential for preventing costly wastewater backups, protecting the environment, and ensuring compliance with municipal regulations. But the science behind this seemingly simple device can be complicated to understand.

In this article, Waste Solutions of Iowa, serving Ankeny, Des Moines, and Waukegan, explains the basics of how a grease trap works and what it takes to keep yours in tip-top shape. Most importantly, it starts with the knowledge that fats, oils, and greases – collectively known as FOG – are lighter than water. As a result, FOG floats on the surface of wastewater, while other solids sink to the bottom of the drain line. A well-designed grease trap includes baffles that hinder the flow rate and movement of wastewater, which gives FOG time to separate from the other wastewater.

Miller’s Septic Tank Cleaning
Columbus, OH
330-521-3599