§ 22-74. 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 install, operate, and maintain a grease trap in accordance with locally adopted plumbing codes or other applicable ordinances. A certificate of occupancy may not be issued for a newly-constructed structure until a city inspection has determined that a properly-designed grease trap has been installed.

(2)

Existing facilities. Existing grease traps must be operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and in accordance with these standards, unless specified otherwise in writing and approved by the city.

(3)

Existing facilities without grease traps have six months from the effective date of the passage of ordinance to install a properly-sized grease trap or interceptor.

(4)

All grease trap waste shall be properly disposed of at a facility in accordance with applicable laws.

(b)

Cleaning and maintenance.

(1)

Grease traps shall be maintained in an efficient operating condition at all times.

(2)

Each grease trap shall be fully evacuated when pumped, unless the trap volume is greater than the tank capacity on the vacuum truck, in which case the transporter shall arrange for additional transportation capacity so that the trap is fully evacuated within the 24-hour period following the transporter's inability to fully evacuate the trap.

(c)

Self-cleaning.

(1)

The operator of a grease trap may be permitted to clean the grease trap with approval in advance from the city. Approval will be granted only if:

a.

The capacity of the grease trap is no more than 50 gallons;

b.

The self-cleaner implements proper on-site material disposal methods, such as the absorption of all liquids into solid form for disposal as solid waste;

c.

The local solid waste authority allows such practices;

d.

The self-cleaner places all grease trap waste in a leak-proof, sealable container 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 trap self-cleaning operators must submit a completed self-cleaning request to the city for approval. The written request shall include the following information:

a.

Business name and street address;

b.

Grease trap/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 trap/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 trap/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 trap self-cleaners will be subject to enforcement action including fines and/or removal from the self-cleaner program.

(d)

Cleaning schedules.

(1)

Grease traps shall be cleaned as often as necessary to ensure that sediment and floating materials do not accumulate to impair the efficiency of the grease trap, to ensure the discharge is in compliance with local discharge limits, and to ensure no visible grease is observed in discharge.

(2)

Grease traps and grease interceptors subject to these standards shall be completely evacuated no less frequently than once per 90 days, or more frequently when:

a.

Twenty-five 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;

b.

The discharge exceeds BOD, COD, TSS, FOG, pH, or other pollutant levels established by the city; or

c.

If there is a history of noncompliance.

(3)

An owner or operator of a grease trap may request an exception to the 90-day pumping frequency of their grease trap/interceptor. Exceptions will be granted at the discretion of the city manager, but only if the owner or operator demonstrates that:

a.

The grease trap will produce an effluent, based on defensible analytical results, in consistent compliance with established local discharge limits such as BOD, TSS, FOG, or other parameters as determined by the city, or

b.

Less than 25 percent of the wetted height of the grease trap, as measured from the bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, will contain floating materials, sediment, oils or greases.

(4)

In any event, a grease trap shall be fully evacuated, cleaned, and inspected at least once every 180 days.

(e)

Manifest requirements.

(1)

Each pump-out of a grease trap or 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.

The name, address, telephone, and commission registration number of transporter;

b.

The name, signature, address, and phone number of the person who generated the waste;

c.

The date the waste was collected;

d.

the type and amount of waste collected, transported, and received;

e.

The name and signature of the individual collecting, transporting, and depositing the waste;

f.

The date and place (including the permit or site registration number and the operator) where the waste was deposited;

g.

The name and signature of the individual at the disposal facility acknowledging receipt of the waste and the amount of waste received; and

h.

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 city.

(4)

Copies of manifests returned to the waste generator shall be retained for five years and be readily available for review by the city.

(f)

Alternative treatment.

(1)

Bioremediation media may be used with the city's approval. The city shall have discretion to approve the use of bioremediation media only if the person has proved that scientifically sound and statistically valid laboratory testing which is appropriate for the type of grease trap to be used has verified that:

a.

The media is a pure live bacterial product which is not inactivated by the use of domestic or commercial disinfectants and detergents, strong alkalis, acids, or water temperatures of 160°F (71°C);

b.

The use of the media does not reduce the buoyancy of the grease layer in the grease trap and does not increase the potential for oil and grease to be discharged to the sanitary sewer;

c.

The use of the bioremediation media does not cause foaming in the sanitary sewer;

d.

The pH level of discharges will be between five and nine; and

e.

The BOD, COD, and TSS discharged to the sanitary sewer after use of the media does not exceed the BOD, COD, and TSS which would be discharged from a properly maintained grease trap if the product were not being used.

(g)

All tests to determine oil and grease, TSS, BOD, COD, pH, and other pollutant levels shall use appropriate procedures which have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and which are defined in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 136 or 30 Texas Administrative Code § 319.11. Testing shall be open to inspection by the city, and shall meet the city's approval.

(Ord. No. O-96-08, § I, 12-8-2008)