Septic tank maintenance

July 17th, 2013:

Government housing grease trap reduction

This article will cover government housing grease trap reduction. In every state, there is a Grease Ordinance that covers the spills from the sewages systems. These spills pollute the surrounding waterways. The Grease Ordinance mandates the different cities to implement the installation maintenance and regulations of the grease traps in various facilities and establishments within their jurisdiction. All of these structures produce and serve food. Since government housing residents also prepare their own meals, government housing projects are also required to install an appropriately-sized grease trap in their premises.

The biggest problem faced concerning grease traps is the FOG (fats, oils grease) overflow. There are government housing projects that have constructed apartment buildings for people to live in. With individual kitchens being used all the time, the grease traps installed in these government structures get filled way ahead of the scheduled pump out and maintenance. Because of this, government housing projects are among the biggest contributors to the worsening sewer and FOG overflow problem in the United States.

Even if the government agencies that run these government housing projects pay for grease trap cleaners, some of them just remove the superficial FOG and not completely remove everything including the solid wastes. Grease traps should be totally emptied, scraped, and scrubbed to completely renew the space that the next batch of FOG and solid wastes will occupy. Lack of proper maintenance makes it even harder for these agencies to face fines and lawsuits because of FOG and sewage overflows.

Government housing grease trap reduction is needed to make sure that everyone in the premises is healthy and the environment is safe. Widespread contamination and health issues spring out when the FOG and sewage back up into the government housing facilities and onto the surrounding water systems. This is really a cause for alarm because government projects like this should not cause harm to people and the environment.

The following are the details of proper maintenance and operation of government housing grease traps:

ü  When the grease trap or grease interceptor runs, it slows down the wastewater flow and  lets the FOG separate

ü  The wastewater then flows into the sewage system

ü  Maintenance is done by a licensed hauling company so that proper and efficient removal and disposal are observed

ü  Maintenance should be done a minimum of four times annually but could increase in frequency when there’s too much accumulation

ü  About 750 gallons is the minimum capacity of the tank

A government housing facility is considered as a multiple dwelling unit. If ever the structure itself evidently shows that an automated grease interceptor cannot be installed, then the following will be mandated by the building official:

  • Installation of a passive grease trap
  • Assurance that proper maintenance of the grease trap will be performed
  • Payments will be made for remedial or preventive work and extra cleaning of the lines

Until the grease trap is built and installed, no approval will be given through a certificate of occupancy and use.

The residents themselves could participate in government housing grease trap reduction practices. The government agency that manages the apartment building could request the tenants to install food meshes or screens into their drains and sinks to keep solid wastes and grease from entering the grease trap. They could also be requested to scrape all the grease materials off their utensils and dishes, place them in recyclable containers, seal them, and dispose of them properly. These practices will significantly lessen the amount of FOG and solid wastes in the grease trap.

Another effective means of government housing grease trap reduction is the use of bioremediation or bioaugmentation. Bioremediation is the process of using bacteria to consume the contaminants and perhaps convert them into less harmful forms. Bioaugmentation is the process of using selected bacteria to consume the contaminants. Both are recommended and used to safely remove the FOG and solid wastes from the government housing grease traps.

By using bacteria in government housing grease trap reduction, government agencies are assured of a much happier set of tenants, a safer environment, and a much lower cost of maintenance.