Oil & Grease Control OrdinanceOrdI 300K a
HARNETT COUNTY NC
OIL & GREASE CONTROL ORDINANCE
BE IT ORDAINED AS FOLLOWS:
In an effort to curb sanitary sewer overflows (SSO's) from grease
accumulation in its sanitary sewer mains, the Harnett County Board of
Commissioners adopted, at its public meeting on November 21, 2005 an Oil
and Grease Control Ordinance. Any nonresidential facility connected to the
Harnett County sanitary sewer collection and treatment system involved in
the preparation or serving of foods will be subject to the conditions of this
ordinance.
A. Scone and Purpose
To aid in the prevention of sanitary sewer blockages and obstructions
from the contributions and accumulation of fats, oils, and greases into
said sewer system from industrial, commercial, and institutional
establishments, particularly food preparation and serving facilities.
B. Definitions
1. Fats, Oils, and Greases — 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 in 40 CFR 136, as may be
amended from time to time. All are sometimes referred to herein as
"Grease" or "Greases ".
2. Grease Trap or Interceptor — A device for separating and retaining
waterborne Greases and Grease complexes prior to the wastewater
exiting the trap and entering the sanitary sewer collection and
treatment system. These devices also serve to collect settleable solids,
generated by and from food preparation activities, prior to the water
exiting the trap and entering the sanitary sewer collection and
treatment system. Grease Traps and Interceptors are sometimes
referred to herein as "Grease Interceptors ".
3. Cooking Establishments — Those establishments primarily engaged in
activities of preparing, serving, or otherwise making available for
consumption foodstuffs and that use one or more of the following
preparation activities: cooking by frying (all methods), baking (all
methods), grilling, sauteing, rotisserie cooking, broiling (all methods),
boiling, blanching, roasting, toasting, or poaching. Also included are
infrared heating, searing, barbecuing, and any other food preparation
activity that produces hot, non - drinkable food product in or on a
receptacle that requires washing.
4. Non - Cooking Establishments — Those establishments primarily
engaged in the preparation of precooked foodstuffs that do not include
any form of cooking. These include cold dairy and frozen foodstuffs
preparation and serving establishments.
5. Minimum Design Capacity — The design features of a Grease
Interceptor and its ability or volume required to effectively intercept
and retain Greases from grease -laden wastewaters discharged to the
public sanitary sewer.
6. User — Any person, including those located outside the jurisdictional
limits of the County, who contributes causes or permits the
contribution of discharge of wastewater into the Publicly Owned
Treatment Works (POTW), including persons who contribute such
wastewater from mobile sources, such as those who discharge hauled
wastewater.
C. Grease Interceptor Maintenance, Record Keeping, and Grease
Removal
1. Grease Interceptors shall be installed by Users as required by the
Harnett County Sewer Use Ordinance. Grease Interceptors shall be
installed at the User's expense, when such User operates a Cooking
Establishment. Grease Interceptors may also be required in non-
cooking or cold dairy and frozen foodstuffs establishments and other
industrial, commercial, or institutional establishments when they are
deemed necessary by the HCDPU Pretreatment staff for the proper
handling of liquid wastes containing Grease.
2. No User shall allow wastewater discharge concentration from subject
Grease Interceptor to exceed 200 milligrams per liter, as identified by
EPA method 1664 or 150 milligrams per liter, as identified by EPA
method 413.
3. All Grease Interceptors shall be of a type, design, and capacity
approved by the Pretreatment Coordinator or his designee and shall be
readily and easily accessible for User cleaning and County inspection.
No Grease Interceptor shall be less than 1,000 gallons total capacity
unless otherwise approved by the Pretreatment Staff.
4. All Grease Interceptors shall be subject to review, evaluation, and
inspection by the Pretreatment Staff during normal working hours.
Results of inspections will be made available to facility owner, lease-
holder, or operator. The Pretreatment Staff may make
recommendations for correction and improvement.
5. All such Grease Interceptors shall be serviced and emptied of
accumulated waste content as required in order to maintain Minimum
Design Capability or effective volume of the Grease Interceptor, but
not less often than every thirty (30) days.
6. Users who are required to pass water through a Grease Interceptor
shall:
a. Provide a minimum hydraulic retention time of twenty-four (24)
minutes at actual peak flow or twelve (12) minutes at the
calculated theoretical peak flow rate as predicted by the Uniform
Plumbing Code fixture criteria, between the influent and effluent
baffles with twenty (20) percent of the total volume of the Grease
Interceptor being allowed for sludge to settle and accumulate,
identified hereafter as "sludge pocket ".
b. Remove any accumulated Grease cap and sludge pocket as
required, but at intervals of not longer than thirty (30) days at the
User's expense. Grease Interceptors 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 the
sludge pocket and thereby reduce the effective volume of the
Grease Interceptor.
c. Accept the following conditions: If any skimmed or pumped
wastes or other materials removed from the Grease Interceptor are
treated in any fashion onsite and reintroduced back into the Grease
Interceptor as an activity of and after said onsite treatment, the
User shall be responsible for the attainment of established Grease
numerical limit consistent with and contained in Section (C)
Number (2) on all discharges of wastewater from said Grease
Interceptor into the Harnett County sanitary sewer collection and
treatment system.
d. Operate the Grease Interceptor in a manner so as to maintain said
device such that attainment of the grease limit is consistently
achieved. "Consistent" shall mean any wastewater sample taken
from said Grease Interceptor shall be subject to terms of numerical
limit attainment described in Section (C) Number (2). If an
establishment desires to use an alternative to an out -of- building
Grease Interceptor, because of documented space restraints, the
request for an alternative location shall contain the following
information:
a. Location of County sewer main and easement in relation to
available exterior space outside building
b. Existing plumbing at or in a site that uses common plumbing
for all services at that site.
e. Understand and agree that: The use of biological additives as a
Grease degradation agent is not permitted.
f. Understand and agree that: The use of automatic Grease removal
systems is conditionally permissible, upon prior written approval
by the Pretreatment Staff. Any establishment using this equipment
shall operate the system in such a mariner that attainment of the
Grease wastewater discharge limit as measured from the unit's
outlet is consistently achieved.
g. Understand and agree that: The Pretreatment Staff reserves the
right to make determinations of Grease Interceptor adequacy and
need, based on review of all relevant information regarding Grease
Interceptor performance, facility site and building plan review and
to require repairs to, modifications, or replacement of such traps.
h. Understand and agree that: A minimum of once per year, the
Pretreatment Staff will conduct an inspection of the User's Grease
Interceptor. The Pretreatment Staff will coordinate with the User
during regular monthly pumping to inspect the condition of the
Grease Interceptor walls, bottom, top, cover, inlet and outlet pipes,
and baffles.
The User shall submit a Grease Trap Service Record form provided
by the County to the Pretreatment Staff on the first day of each month.
The User shall maintain a written record of trap maintenance for three
(3) years. All such records will be available for inspection by the
County at all times.
8. No non - grease laden sources are allowed to be connected to sewer
lines intended for Grease Interceptor service.
9. Except as provided herein, for a period of three (3) months following
adoption of this Ordinance, although installation and maintenance of
Grease Interceptors will be required, no enforcement actions will be
taken under this Ordinance for failure to achieve limits on Grease
discharges from said Grease Interceptors. If, during this three (3)
month period an obstruction of a County sewer main(s) occurs or a
sewer lift station problem occurs that causes a sewer overflow to the
extent that an impact on the environment is realized and that said
overflow or failure of the sanitary sewer collection system to convey
sewage can be attributed in part or in whole to an accumulation of
Grease from your establishment in the County's sewer main(s) or lift
station, Harnett County will take appropriate enforcement actions and
may hold the responsible User liable for costs related to service calls
for sewer line blockages, line cleaning, line and pump repairs, fines,
etc. including all labor, materials, and equipment.
10. Access manholes, with a minimum diameter of 24 inches, shall be
provided over each chamber and sanitary tee. The access manholes
shall extend at least to finished grade and be designed and maintained
to prevent water inflow and infiltration. The manholes shall also have
readily removable covers to facilitate inspection, Grease removal, and
wastewater sampling activities.
D. Violations and Penalties
Any User failing to submit the "Grease Trap Service Record" to the
Pretreatment Staff by the 7`h day of the following month may be fined
$100.00 per week until said document is submitted.
2. It shall be a violation of this ordinance for any User to allow floatable
oils, fats, or greases to enter the Harnett County wastewater collection
or treatment system, in excess of the limits outlined in Section (C)
Number (2), because of Grease Interceptors or other Grease handling
facilities being inadequately serviced or maintained.
Users receiving unsatisfactory evaluations during inspections may be
required, at the User's expense, to sample its Grease Interceptor
discharge and have it analyzed for oil and grease. Results of such
analyses shall be reported to the Pretreatment Staff. Any User found
to be in violation shall be notified in writing of any noncompliance
and will be required to provide a schedule whereby corrections will be
accomplished. User's known to be in violation shall be subject to fines
of $500.00 per day until actions are taken to prevent said violations
from recurring.
4. Users who continue to violate the Harnett County Oil and Grease
Control Ordinance may be considered for discontinuance of sewer
services.
5. Users whose operations cause or allow excessive grease to discharge
or accumulate in the Harnett County wastewater collection and
treatment system may be liable to the County for costs related to
service calls for sewer line blockages, line cleaning, line and pump
repairs, etc. including all labor, materials, and equipment. Failure to
pay all service related charges may also be grounds for sewer service
discontinuance.
E. Existing Facilities
All existing Cooking Establishments shall have Grease Interceptors
approved by the Harnett County Pretreatment Staff. Cooking
Establishments without Grease Interceptors will be given a
compliance deadline not to exceed six (6) months from the date of the
ratification of this ordinance.
2. Failure to comply will be considered a violation of the Harnett County
Oil and Grease Ordinance and such facilities may be subject to
penalties and corrective actions. Said installations shall meet the same
requirements for design as new facilities.
In the event an existing Cooking Establishment's Grease Interceptor is
either under - designed or substandard in accordance with this policy,
the owner(s) will be notified in writing of the deficiencies and
required improvements, and given a compliance deadline not to
exceed six (6) months to conform to the requirements of this
ordinance.
F. Right of Revision
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to revise
this ordinance as conditions warrant.
Duly adopted this 2 Ist of November, 2005, upon motion by
Commissioner Ti"m cAle-ill and adopted by the following vote:
Ayes 5 Noes O Absent
,;d Board of ommissioners of Harnett County
<�E ..... e,r
ACS,, n By:
Teddy . Byrd, (hairman of the Board and
of the governing body of the Water and
Sewer Districts of Harnett County
Attest:
Ka,,,x/ ,L Ldd
Kay . Blanchard, Clerk to the Board
and to the Water and Sewer Districts
of Harnett County