Grease Traps

CITY ORDANANCE 96.11

96.11   GREASE TRAPS AND INTERCEPTORS.  All food service establishments are required to have a grease interceptor or grease trap.  The requirements in this section are in addition to any applicable requirements of the Lamoni Municipal Utilities Plumbing Code and the International Plumbing Code.

New Establishments.  Food service establishments that are newly proposed or constructed on or after the effective date of this section† shall be required to install, operate, and maintain a grease interceptor or grease trap according to the requirements contained in this section.  Existing facilities that are expanded or renovated to include a food service establishment where such establishment did not previously exist shall be considered a new establishment under this section.  Grease interceptors or grease traps shall be installed and a permit issued prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

Existing Establishments.  All food service establishments existing and operating within the City prior to the effective date of this section shall be permitted to continue to operate with existing facilities, provided:

Existing grease interceptors or grease traps shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

Existing grease interceptors or grease traps shall be permitted to continue in use until remodeling of the food preparation or kitchen waste plumbing system is performed, thereby requiring a plumbing permit to be issued by the City.

Grease discharges from the food service establishment do not cause operational problems, such as (but not limited to) plugging in the sewers of LMU.

Other Requirements.

Grease interceptors or grease traps shall be installed at the user’s expense, when such user operates a food service establishment.  Grease interceptors or grease traps may also be required in non-cooking or cold dairy and frozen foodstuffs establishments and other industrial or commercial establishments when it is deemed necessary by LMU for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing FOG.

Grease interceptors and grease traps shall conform to the standards of the International Plumbing Code adopted by this reference as the Plumbing Code of Lamoni Municipal Utilities.

Grease interceptors shall provide access manholes with a minimum diameter of 24 inches over each chamber and sanitary tee.  The access manholes shall extend at least to the finished grade and be designed and maintained to prevent surface water inflow or groundwater infiltration.  The manholes shall also have readily removable covers to facilitate inspection and grease removal.

Non-grease-laden sources shall not be allowed to connect to sewer lines intended for grease interceptor service.

Grease interceptors and grease traps shall be equipped with an accessible sampling port on the effluent side of the interceptor or trap.

Operation Requirements.  Users who are required to install a grease interceptor or grease trap shall:

Operate the grease interceptor or grease trap in a manner so as to maintain such device such that attainment of the grease limit is consistently achieved.  “Consistent” means any wastewater sample taken from such grease interceptor or trap shall meet the numerical limit of 100 milligrams per liter FOG.

Remove any accumulated grease cap and sludge pocket as required when FOG and solids reach 25 percent of the unit’s capacity, at the user’s expense.  Grease interceptors and grease traps shall be kept free of inorganic solid materials, such as grit, rocks, gravel, sand, eating utensils, cigarettes, shells, towels, rags, etc., which could settle into this pocket and thereby reduce the effective volume of the grease interceptor or grease trap.

Skim or pump wastes or other materials removed from the grease interceptor or grease trap so as not to be introduced into the sewer, even after any kind of on-site treatment of said wastes.

Not use hot water as a grease abatement method.  The use of biological additives as a grease degradation agent is conditionally permissible, upon prior written approval by LMU.  Any establishment using this method of grease abatement shall maintain the interceptor or trap in such a manner that attainment of the grease wastewater discharge limit, as measured from the outlet, it consistently achieved.

Utilize an automatic grease removal system only upon prior written approval by LMU.  Any establishment using this equipment shall operate the system in such a manner that attainment of the grease wastewater discharge limit, as measured from the unit’s outlet, is consistently achieved.

Maintain a written record of grease interceptor or grease trap maintenance.  Said record shall include dates and means of disposal and shall maintain those records for three years.  All such records will be available for inspection by LMU at all times.

† EDITOR’S NOTE:  The effective date of the ordinance codified in this section is July 10, 2014.