Chapter 13.14
PRETREATMENT FACILITIES FOR FATS, OILS, AND GREASE
Sections:
13.14.020 Wastewater discharge requirements.
13.14.040 Pretreatment required.
13.14.050 Design and sizing criteria.
13.14.080 Grease interceptor maintenance.
13.14.090 Maintenance log format.
13.14.100 Inspection and entry.
13.14.110 Deadline for compliance.
13.14.120 Notice of violation.
13.14.010 General.
A. It is unlawful for any food service establishment or other person to discharge, or cause to be discharged, wastewater to the city’s wastewater collection and sewer treatment system (“treatment plant”) which contains fats, oils, grease (FOGs), whether solids or liquids, sufficient to cause obstruction or otherwise interfere with the proper operations of the treatment plant.
B. It is unlawful for any food service establishment or other person to dispose of any FOGs, waste or processing waste containing oils, greases, solids, or liquids, and discharge such waste into any drainage piping, public or private sanitary sewer, storm drainage system, sufficient to interfere with the proper operation of that system, or to discharge such waste to any land, street, public way, river, stream or other waterway.
C. It is unlawful for any person to allow liquid waste to accumulate on their property or in their possession, which is injurious to public health or emits offensive odors.
D. It is unlawful for any person to utilize any chemical-emulsifying agent for the purpose of hindering or eliminating the interception of fats or grease prior to entering the city’s wastewater collection system.
E. Food service establishments and other facilities described in Section 13.14.040 discharging wastewater shall install, operate, clean, and maintain a sufficiently sized oil and grease, water and solids separator (“grease interceptor”) necessary to achieve compliance with requirements set forth in this chapter.
F. Oil or grease of petroleum or mineral origin shall not be discharged to the city’s sewer system at a concentration in excess of one hundred mg/l.
FOGs of animal or vegetable origin shall not be discharged to the city’s sewer system at a concentration in excess of one hundred mg/l.
G. The concentration of FOGs may be measured in samples taken by the city from the sampling chamber following pretreatment in an approved grease interceptor. Any random testing will be done at a state accredited laboratory at the owner’s expense, which expense shall be added to the owner’s utility bill. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.020 Wastewater discharge requirements.
Waste discharge from fixtures and equipment in establishments listed in Section 13.14.040 that may contain grease, including but not limited to scullery sinks, pot and pan sinks, vent hood drains, dishwashing machines, soup kettles and floor drains located in areas where grease containing materials may exist, may be drained into the sanitary sewer only after such discharges are pretreated in an approved grease interceptor. No sanitary wastes from toilets, urinals, or other similar fixtures may be discharged through any grease waste interceptor. All wastes shall enter the interceptor through the inlet pipe only. The wholesale shredding of food wastes into any fixture, which discharges to a grease interceptor, is prohibited. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.030 Location.
Each business establishment for which a grease interceptor is required shall have an interceptor, which shall serve only that establishment.
Each grease interceptor shall be so installed and connected that it shall be at all times easily accessible for inspection, cleaning, and the removal of the intercepted grease. A grease interceptor may not be installed in any part of a building where food is handled. Interceptors shall be placed as close as practical to the fixture(s) they serve. Location of the grease interceptor shall meet the approval of the city public works director or their designee. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.040 Pretreatment required.
A. Dischargers who operate restaurants, meat cutting facilities, cafes, lunch counters, bakeries, cafeterias, bars, or clubs; or hotel, hospital, sanitarium, factory or school kitchens; or other establishments that serve or prepare food for commercial purposes where grease may be introduced to the sewer system shall have a sufficiently sized grease trap or interceptor to prevent the discharge of FOGs.
B. Dischargers who operate automatic and coin-operated laundries, car washes, filling stations, commercial garages or similar businesses having any type of washing facilities (including pressure washing and steam cleaning) or any other discharges producing grit, sand, oils, lint, or other materials which have the potential of causing partial or complete obstruction of the building site sewer or other areas in the treatment plant shall install approved traps, interceptors, oil/water separators, or tanks in accordance with specifications adopted by the city such that excessive amounts of oil, sand and inert solids are effectively prevented from entering the treatment plant. The specifications adopted by the city are listed in the Uniform Plumbing Code in Chapter 15.08 of this code. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.050 Design and sizing criteria.
A. The design and size of the grease interceptor shall be determined by the current requirements as listed in the Uniform Plumbing Code as reasonably interpreted by the city.
B. Prepackaged or manufactured grease interceptors may be approved by the city with proper engineering and application review.
C. The grease interceptor shall be followed by a sampling compartment to allow for monitoring of discharges from the pretreatment unit. Grease interceptors shall have fittings designed for grease retention. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.060 Source control.
All food establishments which deep fry, pan fry or otherwise generate liquid or semisolid restaurant grease shall maintain a container on site for containment of liquid and semisolid grease wastes. This liquid or semisolid grease shall be transported to an approved rendering plant. In no case shall free liquid grease be disposed of directly into fixtures which are connected to the sewer system. Unused butter, margarine, or other solid grease products shall not be discharged to the sewer system through garbage disposals or other means. No exceptions to the prohibitions of this section are allowed for fixtures that discharge to the sewer system through an approved grease interceptor. Hauling and recycling of restaurant grease shall be accomplished at a facility holding a state rendering permit. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.070 Additives.
The use of any additive, such as enzymes, chemicals, or bacteria, as a substitute for grease interceptors or the maintenance of grease interceptors is prohibited. In no case shall any additive which emulsifies FOGs be used. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.080 Grease interceptor maintenance.
Each business required to install and maintain a grease interceptor shall provide regular maintenance of such grease interceptor to the satisfaction of the public works director, or their designee, in accordance with the requirements set forth in this chapter.
Each person who removes grease waste from the grease interceptor shall, to the extent technically and mechanically possible, remove the entire contents of the grease interceptor.
A. Cleaning/Pumping. All grease interceptors shall be maintained by the business owner at the owner’s expense. Maintenance shall include the complete removal of all contents, including floating materials, wastewater, and bottom sludge and solids. Decanting or discharging of removed waste back into the interceptor from which the waste was removed or any other grease interceptor, for the purpose of reducing the volume to be hauled, is prohibited.
B. Grease Removal and Grease Interceptor Pumping Frequency. All grease interceptors must be pumped out completely once every three months; or more frequently, as required by the public works director. Exception to this minimum frequency of pumping may be made with special written approval from the public works director for generations of small quantities of grease wastes. In no case shall the frequency of pumping be less than once every six months.
C. Disposal of Grease Interceptor Pumpage. All waste removed from each grease interceptor must be disposed of at a facility permitted by the health department of the county in which the disposal facility is located. Under no circumstances shall the pumpage be returned to any treatment plant or any sanitary sewer.
D. Maintenance Requirements. Each person who engages in grease waste handling shall maintain all vehicles, hoses, pumps, tanks, tools, and equipment associated with grease waste handling in good repair, free of leaks, and in a clean and sanitary condition. All hoses and valves on grease waste handling vehicles or tanks shall be tightly capped or plugged after each use to prevent leakage, dripping, spilling or other discharge of grease wastes on any public or private property.
E. Maintenance Records. A log indicating each pumping of an interceptor for the previous twelve months shall be maintained by each food service establishment. This log shall include date, time, amount pumped, hauler and disposal site and shall be kept in a conspicuous location for inspection by county health department or city officials. The maintenance record log shall be recorded in the format of the sample log included in Section 13.14.090.
F. Maintenance Reporting. The information required in the maintenance log shall be submitted to the city public works annually. The reporting period is January 1st through December 31st of each year. The report shall be submitted within thirty days after the end of the reporting period.
G. Hazardous Material Prohibited. No person shall collect, transport, or handle any hazardous material in any vehicle used for grease waste handling. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.090 Maintenance log format.
All pumpage collected by haulers from grease interceptors shall be verified by a maintenance log which confirms pumping, hauling and disposal of waste. Maintenance records and maintenance reporting requirements are specified in Section 13.14.080. Each person who engages in grease waste hauling shall complete the log each time such person services a grease interceptor. Such persons shall provide a copy of the log to the generator of the grease waste. The log format shall be one of the following:
A. Type I Maintenance Log Format. The Type I format shall be used when the transporter of the pumpage maintains and operates a grease waste treatment facility where such facility is permitted by the county health department in which the facility is located. The county permit shall specifically cover activities associated with grease waste recycling and/or disposal activities.
The city will maintain a list of approved permitted grease waste receiving facilities. A permitted grease waste facility may be added to the public works director’s list of approved facilities upon submittal of a proper county health department permit in which the receiving facility is located. The Type I grease waste maintenance log format shall be used only by transporters on the city’s list of approved permitted grease waste receiving facilities.
B. Type II Maintenance Log Format. The Type II grease waste interceptor maintenance log format shall be used when the transporter of the pumpage does not maintain and operate a permitted grease waste treatment facility. The Type II format shall be used by all transporters not on the list of permitted and approved grease waste receiving facilities maintained by the city.
Any transporter on the approved list who does not dispose of the hauled grease waste at its own permitted treatment facility shall use the Type II format.
C. Each log entry shall provide all required data. The following format shall be used for each log entry:
TYPE I FORMAT
GREASE INTERCEPTOR MAINTENANCE LOG PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF BREWSTER, WA
GENERATOR INFORMATION
NAME: (type facility name)
ADDRESS: (type facility address)
DATE: (handwritten entry)
VOLUME PUMPED: (handwritten entry)
TRANSPORTER INFORMATION
NAME: (type facility name)
ADDRESS: (type facility address)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION AND CAPACITY: (handwritten entry)
ESTIMATED THICKNESS OF FLOATING GREASE: (handwritten entry)
ESTIMATED DEPTH OF BOTTOM SOLIDS: (handwritten entry)
Comments: (driver to enter observations on the condition of the grease interceptor)
_____________________________________
Driver: (hand print driver name)
Signature: (driver signature)
TYPE II FORMAT
GREASE INTERCEPTOR MAINTENANCE LOG PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF BREWSTER, WA
GENERATOR INFORMATION
NAME: (type business name of transporter)
ADDRESS: (type transporter address)
DATE: (handwritten entry)
VOLUME: (handwritten entry)
TRANSPORTER INFORMATION
NAME: (type business name of transporter)
ADDRESS: (type transporter address)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION AND CAPACITY: (handwritten entry)
ESTIMATED THICKNESS OF FLOATING
GREASE: (handwritten entry)
ESTIMATED DEPTH OF BOTTOM SOLIDS: (handwritten entry)
COMMENTS: (driver to enter observations on the condition of the grease interceptor)
______________________________________
______________________________________
DRIVER NAME: (hand print driver name)
SIGNATURE: (driver signature)
FACILITY PERMIT NUMBER: (type Dept. of Health permit)
DATE: (handwritten entry)
RECEIVING FACILITY INFORMATION
FACILITY NAME: (type facility name)
ADDRESS: (type facility address)
VOLUME OF WASTE: (handwritten entry)
CLASSIFICATION OF WASTE: (handwritten entry)
NAME: (print name of receiving facility employees authorized to document waste discharge)
SIGNATURE: (signature of above employees)
(Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.100 Inspection and entry.
Any and all premises within the city served by or required to be served by a grease interceptor and any and all records pertaining to such grease interceptor shall be subject to inspection by the public works director, or their designee(s), for the purposes of determining compliance with this chapter. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.110 Deadline for compliance.
Owners of businesses in existence as of May 1, 2023, shall have until December 31, 2023, to comply with the requirements of this chapter. Users may request in writing an extension of the time for compliance. The public works director only for good cause will authorize such extensions. An extension of the compliance deadline is valid only upon receiving written authorization from the public works director.
All new businesses that are subject to this chapter shall install a grease interceptor compliant with Section 13.14.050 prior to operation. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.120 Notice of violation.
When the public works director finds a person or business subject to this chapter has violated any provision of this chapter, the city may have a notice of violation served on the violator by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested, requiring the violator to explain the violation and submit a remedial plan to correct the same within ten days of receipt of the notice or other time set forth therein. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.130 Correction order.
The public works director may enter into an administrative correction order establishing agreement between the city and any user or other person regulated under the authority of this chapter. Such order shall state any specific action agreed upon between the parties, the costs and responsibilities, a time period for compliance and any specific penalties, forfeitures of bond or other security required to be posted or other consequences. Such orders may contain a provision of no contest to the entry of a judgment of forfeiture or other appropriate relief in the event of violation of the correction order. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.140 Show cause order.
Whenever the public works director determines that there is a violation of any provision of this chapter, they may require any person, upon ten days’ notice or in such other time as is deemed proper, to show cause why sewer service and discharge permit privileges should not be suspended, conditioned, or revoked. The order may require a person to establish proof of compliance. The show cause order shall be served personally or by certified mail upon the party affected. Specific grounds for termination of sewer service include:
A. Violation of wastewater discharge permit terms or conditions;
B. Failure to submit timely and accurate reports or data required under this chapter;
C. Refusal of records or access to premises required under this chapter. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.150 Public nuisance.
Violation of any requirement imposed under the authority of this chapter is a public nuisance and subject to summary abatement or the commencement of a judicial proceeding to abate the same, at the violator’s sole expense and liability. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.160 Emergency action.
A. The public works director may immediately, with or without such notice and hearing as deemed expedient or proper, suspend a user’s discharge to the city sanitary sewer and treatment plant to prevent or avoid danger to the environment or to the public health and safety, including the continued safe and efficient operation of the city and the safety of treatment plant personnel.
B. To accomplish the suspension the public works director may take all due and necessary action, including severance or obstruction of any sewer connection, whether on public or private property, and suspend water services to the premises until the public works director is satisfied the danger is removed. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)
13.14.170 Penalties.
A. For a first violation, the offender shall be subject to a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars;
B. For each subsequent violation within one year of the first violation, the offender shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars for each occurrence;
C. At the city’s sole discretion, offenders with four or more violations may be removed from the city water and sanitary sewer utility services until the causes of the violations are cured. (Ord. 949 § 1, 2023)