Fats,
Oils and Grease (FOG)
52.035 Fats, oils
and Grease Interceptor – Purpose and Policy
52.036 Applicability
and Prohibitions
52.037
Definitions
52.038 Installation
and Maintenance Requirements
52.039 Schedule
of Penalties
52.040 Judicial
enforcement and Remedies
52.035
Fats,
oils and Grease Interceptors- Purpose and Policy.
This sets forth uniform requirements for users of the City of Clinton Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) to capture and dispose of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) and enables the City to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C., § 1251, et seq.; and the General Pretreatment Regulations, Title 40 C.F.R. Part 403. The objectives of this ordinance are:
1.
To prevent the
introduction of FOG into the Publicly Owned Treatment
Works that will interfere with its operation;
2.
To prevent the
introduction of FOG into the Publicly Owned Treatment
Works that could pass through the Publicly Owned Treatment Works, inadequately treated, into receiving waters, or otherwise be incompatible with the Publicly Owned Treatment Works;
3. To prevent sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), where sewer water flows out of a manhole cover and along the ground. These overflows can then contaminate the ground, local water bodies and any property that the sewerage comes into contact with.
4. To promote the reuse and recycling of waste grease (FOG) from the Publicly Owned Treatment Works;
5.
To enable the
City to comply with Federal, State and local Pollutant Discharge
limits.
52.036. Applicability and Prohibitions
A) This
ordinance shall apply to all
non-domestic users of the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW),
as defined in
Section II of this Ordinance.
B)
Grease
interceptors shall not be required for residential users.
C) The
ordinance shall apply to both new and existing
facilities generating fats, oils, or greases as a result of food
manufacturing,
processing, preparation, or food service.
Said facilities shall install, use, and maintain
appropriate grease interceptors
as required in Section 52.038 of this ordinance. These
facilities include but
are not limited to restaurants, food manufacturers, food
processors, commercial
kitchens, hospitals, schools, hotels and motels, prisons,
nursing homes, care
facilities, and any other facility preparing, serving, or
otherwise making any
foodstuff available for consumption.
D) No user may
intentionally or unintentionally
allow the direct or indirect discharge of any fats, oils, or
greases of animal
or vegetable origin into the POTW system in such amounts as to
cause
interference with the collection and treatment system, or as to
cause
pollutants to pass through the treatment works into the
environment.
52.037. Definitions
a) Act: Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1251, et. seq.
b) BOD: The value of the 5-day test for Biochemical Oxygen Demand, as described in the latest edition of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater.”
c)
d)
EPA: The
e)
Fats, oils, and greases (FOG): 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 40
f) Generator: Any person who owns or operates a grease trap/grease interceptor, or whose act or process produces a grease trap waste.
g) Grease interceptor: An appurtenance or appliance that is installed in a sanitary drainage system to intercept non- petroleum fats, oils and grease (FOG) from a wastewater. There are two types of Grease interceptors, Gravity Grease Interceptors and Hydromechanical Grease Interceptors
h)
Grease Interceptor,
Gravity:
Gravity
Grease Interceptor: A plumbing appurtenance or appliance
that is installed
in a sanitary drainage system to intercept non-petroleum fats,
oils, and
greases (FOG) from a wastewater discharge and is identified by
volume,
30-minute retention time, baffle(s),
a
minimum of two compartments, a minimum total volume of 300
gallons, and gravity
separation. These interceptors are designed by a registered
professional
engineer. Gravity Grease Interceptors are generally installed
outside.
i)
Grease
Interceptor, Hydromechanical:
Hydromechanical
Grease
Interceptor: A
plumbing
appurtenance or appliance that is installed in a sanitary
drainage system to
intercept non-petroleum fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from a
wastewater
discharge and is identified by flow rate, and separation and
retention
efficiency. The design incorporates air entrainment, hydro
mechanical separation,
interior baffling, and/or barriers in combination or separately,
and an
External flow control, with air intake (vent).
j)
Grease Removal Device
(GRD): Any hydromechanical grease interceptor
that automatically, mechanically
removes non-petroleum fats, oils and grease (FOG) from the
interceptor, the
control of which are either automatic or manually initiated.
k) Grease
Waste: Material
collected in and from a
grease interceptor in the sanitary sewer service line of a
commercial,
institutional, or industrial food service or processing
establishment,
including the solids resulting from de-watering processes.
l)
FOG Disposal System: A
grease interceptor that reduces non-petroleum fats, oils, and
grease (FOG) in effluent
by separation, and mass and volume reduction.
m) Indirect Discharge or Discharge: The introduction of pollutants into a POTW from any non-domestic source.
n) Interference: A discharge which alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations or its sludge processes, use or disposal, or is a cause of a violation of the city's NPDES permit.
o) pH: The measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of water and is defined as the negative logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration.
p) POTW or Publicly Owned Treatment Works: A treatment works which is owned by a state or municipality as defined by section 502(4) of the Clean Water Act. This definition includes any devices and systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature. It also includes all sewers, pipes and other conveyances that convey wastewater to a POTW Treatment Plant. The term also means the municipality as defined in section 502(4) of the Act, which has jurisdiction over the indirect discharges to and the discharges from such a treatment works. For purposes of this ordinance, the terms “sanitary sewer system” and “POTW” may be used interchangeably.
q) Transporter means a person who is registered with and authorized by the TCEQ to transport sewage sludge, water treatment sludge, domestic septage, chemical toilet waste, grit trap waste, or grease trap waste in accordance with current regulations.
r)
s) 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 POTW, including persons who contribute such wastewater from
mobile sources.
52.038. Installation
and Maintenance Requirements
A)
Installations
1) New Facilities. Food processing or food service facilities which are newly proposed or constructed, or existing facilities which will be expanded or renovated to include a food service facility, where such facility did not previously exist, shall be required to design , install, operate and maintain a grease interceptor in accordance with locally adopted plumbing codes or other applicable ordinances. Grease interceptors shall be installed and inspected prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
2) Existing
Facilities. Existing grease interceptors must be operated and
maintained in
accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and in
accordance with these
Model Standards, unless specified in writing and approved by the
POTW.
3)
All
grease interceptor waste shall be
properly disposed of at a facility in accordance with federal,
state, or local
regulation.
B)
Cleaning and
Maintenance:
1) Grease interceptors shall be maintained in an efficient operating condition at all times.
2)
Each
grease interceptor when cleaned
shall be fully evacuated.
C) Self-Cleaning; Hydro-mechanical Grease interceptors only.
1) Grease interceptor self-cleaning operators must receive approval from the POTW to remove grease from their own grease hydro –mechanical grease interceptors.
The following conditions shall apply:
a.
the
grease interceptor is no more than 100
b.
proper
on-site material disposal
methods are implemented (e.g. absorb liquid into solid form and
dispose into
trash);
c.
the
local solid waste authority
allows such practices;
d.
grease
waste is placed in a leak
proof, sealable container(s) located on the premises and in an
area for the
transporter to pump-out; and
e. detailed records on these activities are maintained.
2)
Grease
interceptor self-cleaning operators must submit a completed
self-cleaning request
to the POTW for approval. The written request shall include the
following information:
a.
Business
name and street address;
b.
Grease
interceptor operator name, title, and phone number;
c.
Description
of maintenance frequency,
method of disposal, method of cleaning and size (in gallons) of
the grease
interceptor; and
d. Signed statement that the operator will maintain records of waste disposal and produce them for compliance inspections.
3)
Self-cleaners
must adhere to all the requirements; procedures and detailed
record keeping
outlined in their approved application, to ensure compliance
with this ordinance.
A maintenance log shall be kept by self-cleaning operators that
indicates, at a
minimum, the following information:
a.
Date the grease trap/interceptor was serviced;
b.
Name
of the person or company servicing the grease trap/interceptor;
c.
Waste
disposal method used;
d.
Gallons
of grease removed and disposed of;
e.
Waste
oil added to grease interceptor waste; and
f. Signature of the operator after each cleaning that certifies that all grease was removed, disposed of properly, grease trap/interceptor was thoroughly cleaned, and that all parts were replaced and in operable condition.
4) Violations incurred by grease interceptors self-cleaners will be subject to enforcement action including fines and/or removal from the self-cleaner program.
D)
Cleaning Schedules
1) Grease interceptors shall be cleaned as often as necessary to ensure that sediment and floating materials do not accumulate to impair the efficiency of the grease interceptor; to ensure the discharge is in compliance with local discharge limits; and to ensure no visible grease is observed in discharge.
2)
Grease
interceptors shall be completely evacuated a minimum of every
thirty (30) days,
or more frequently when:
a.
twenty-five
(25) percent or more of the
wetted height of the grease trap or grease interceptor, as
measured from the
bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, contains
floating
materials, sediment, oils or greases; or
b.
the discharge exceeds BOD,
c. if there is a history of non-compliance.
3)
Any
person who owns or operates a grease interceptor may submit to
the POTW a
request in writing for an exception to the thirty (30) day
cleaning frequency
of their grease interceptor. The POTW may grant an extension for
required cleaning
frequency and establish a specific cleaning schedule on a
case-by-case basis
when:
a.
the
grease interceptor owner/operator
has demonstrated the specific
interceptor will produce an effluent, based on defensible
analytical
results, in consistent
compliance with established local discharge limits such as BOD,
b. less than twenty-five (25) percent of the wetted height of the grease interceptor, as measured from the bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, contains floating materials, sediment, oils or greases
E)
Manifest
Requirements
1)
Each
pump-out of a grease interceptor must be accompanied by a
manifest
to be used for record keeping purposes.
2) Persons who generate, collect and transport grease waste shall maintain a record of each individual collection and deposit. Such records shall be in the form of a manifest. The manifest shall include:
a.
name, address, telephone, and registration
number of transporter;
b.
name, signature, address, and phone number
of the person who generated the waste and the date collected;
c. type and
amount(s) of waste collected or
transported;
d. name and signature(s) of
responsible person(s)
collecting, transporting, and depositing the waste;
e.
date
and place where the waste was
deposited;
f. identification
(permit
or site registration number, location, and operator) of the
facility
where the waste was deposited;
g. name
and
signature of facility on-site representative acknowledging
receipt of the waste
and the amount of waste received;
h. the volume of the grease waste received; and
i. a
consecutive
numerical tracking number to assist transporters, waste
generators, and
regulating authorities in tracking the volume of grease
transported.
3)
Manifests
shall be divided into five parts and records shall be maintained
as follows.
a. One
part of the
manifest shall have the generator and transporter
information completed and
be given to the generator at the time of waste pickup.
b. The
remaining
four parts of the manifest shall have all required information
completely
filled out and signed by the appropriate party before
distribution of the
manifest.
c.
One
part of the manifest shall go to the receiving facility.
d. One
part shall go
to the transporter, who shall retain a copy of all manifests
showing the
collection and disposition of waste.
e. One
copy of the
manifest shall be returned by the transporter to the person who
generated the
wastes within 15 days after the waste is received at the
disposal or processing
facility.
f.
One
part of the manifest shall go to the local authority.
g. Copies
of
manifests returned to the waste generator shall be retained for
five years and
be readily available for review by the POTW.
F) Bioremediation:
Bioremediation
media shall only be used with approved Fog
Disposal Systems. Generator must submit request to utilize
bioremediation
media, and receive written permission from the POTW before
implementation of
bioremediation media. The request must demonstrate that the
generator has an
appropriate FOG system in place.
G) Compliance and Penalties:
All
testing designed to satisfy the criteria set forth in
Section
H) Prohibited
Practices:
No person shall introduce, or cause, permit, or suffer the introduction of any surfactant, solvent or emulsifier into a grease interceptor. Surfactants, solvents, and emulsifiers are materials which allow the grease to pass from the grease interceptor into the collection system, and include but are not limited to enzymes, soap, diesel, kerosene, and other solvents.
I) Compliance
Monitoring:
1)
Right
of Entry. The POTW shall have the right to enter the
premises of any user
or potential user to determine whether the user is complying
with all
requirements of this chapter and any wastewater discharge permit
or order
issued hereunder. Users shall allow the POTW ready access to all
parts of the
premises for the purposes of inspection, sampling, records
examination and
copying, and the performance of any additional duties.
a)
Where a user has security measures
in force which
require proper identification and clearance before entry into
its premises, the
user shall make necessary arrangements with its security guards
so that, upon
presentation of suitable identification, the POTW will be
permitted to enter
without delay for the purposes of performing specific
responsibilities.
b)
The POTW shall have the right to
set up on the user's
property, or require installation of, such devices as are
necessary to conduct
sampling and/or metering of the user's operations.
c)
The POTW may require the user to
install monitoring
equipment as necessary such as FOG sensing and alarm devices.
The facility's
monitoring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe
and proper
operating condition by the user at its own expense.
d)
Any temporary or permanent
obstruction to safe and easy
access to the facility to be inspected and/or sampled shall be
promptly removed
by the user at the written or verbal request of the POTW and
shall not be
replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall be borne by
the user.
e)
Unreasonable delays in allowing
the POTW access to the
user's premises shall be a violation of this ordinance.
2)
Search
Warrants. If the POTW has been refused access to a
building, structure, or
property, or any part thereof, and is able to demonstrate
probable cause to
believe that there may be a violation of this chapter, then the
POTW may seek
issuance of a search warrant.
52.039. Schedule of Penalties
A)
If the POTW determines that a
generator is responsible
for a blockage of a collection system line the generator shall
owe a civil
penalty of $1,000 for the first violation, $1,500 for a second
violation, and
$2,000 for the third violation within a two-year period.
Continuous violations
shall result in an increase in penalty by $500 and may also
result in
termination of services.
B) Any person violating any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be subject to a written warning for the first violation, a $1,000 civil penalty for the second violation, a $1,500 civil penalty for the third violation, and a $2,000 civil penalty for the fourth violation within a two- year period. Consistent violations will result in a $500 increase in civil penalty and may result in termination of service as per 52.040.
52.040. Judicial Enforcement and
Remedies
Injunctive Relief. When the POTW
finds that a user has violated or continues to violate any
provision of this
chapter, a wastewater discharge permit, or order issued
hereunder, or any other
pretreatment standard or requirement, the POTW may petition the
District Court
for the issuance of a temporary or permanent injunction, as
appropriate, which
restrains or compels the specific performance of the wastewater
discharge
permit, order, or other requirement imposed by this chapter on
activities of
the user. The POTW may also seek such other action as is
appropriate for legal
and/or equitable relief, including a requirement for the user to
conduct
environmental remediation. A petition for injunctive relief
shall not be a bar
against or a prerequisite for taking any other action against a
user.