The Importance of Grease Trap Compliance
The estimated frequency of sanitary sewer overflows caused by restaurant grease blockages in the US is 54%.
Grease blockages cause raw sewage from the sanitary sewer to overflow into the storm sewer system, public land and private properties. The storm sewers flow directly into our natural waterways. Raw sewage contains bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that lead to serious illness. Raw sewage should never flow into our lakes and streams. Storm sewers were designed and built to alleviate the run-off water from rain and snow.
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) are the number one cause of untreated sewage overflows. The result is bordering 10 billion gallons of raw sewage spills annually (per the US EPA).
A grease ordinance is designed and developed to regulate discharges into a city's sewer system. Key elements of a functional and practical grease ordinance are:
- Clearly defined grease and sewer definitions
- Grease recovery equipment requirements
- Appropriate fines and enforcement
- Violation and penalty information
- Regular servicing and inspection
- Maintain grease trap maintenance log
- Certification of waste grease haulers
- The ban of grease trap enzymes and bacteria
- Foodservice educational materials
The taxpayer's costs for public works infrastructure repairs from restaurant grease is an extreme financial burden to every city and town in the US. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually on sanitary sewer repairs, pumping station repairs and raw sewage spill clean-ups from grease blockages. These costs are unnecessary and controllable.
Our clean water supply and natural water systems must never be compromised.
LES understands safeguarding the environment. It’s more than a duty; it’s the reason we exist. By managing the entire liquid waste lifecycle, we support our customers and their sustainability programs by focusing on recycling, maximizing beneficial reuse, increasing landfill diversions and preserving our most precious resource – water.
And, our proprietary FOGLaw database allows us to accurately track grease ordinances in more than 6,000 jurisdictions across the US, meaning our grease trap services come with an industry-leading compliance guarantee.
Solutions at your service! Let’s talk.