Oil and Grease Program Overview
City of Leesburg
Public Works Department
Grease Management Program
SUMMARY OF THE OIL & GREASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
One of the remaining major point sources of pollution is overflows from the sanitary sewer system. In most cases, these overflows are preventable. In response to the mandate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) initiated a statewide program to prevent sewer system overflows, which can contaminate stormwater systems, lakes, and other surface waters, and pose public health problems. The primary cause of sewer system overflows is the discharge of excessive amounts of oils & greases to the wastewater system. Oil & Grease creates clogs in the collection system and forms layers in the lift stations which render the control system inoperable.
OBJECTIVES
- The objectives of the Oil & Grease Management Program include:
- Comply with FDEP regulations and directives;
- Eliminate sewer system overflows;
- Reduce the amount of oils & greases discharged to the collection system;
- Reduce maintenance costs for the wastewater system;
- Improve operation of the collection system;
- Improve wastewater effluent quality
EPA and FDEP have concluded that pollution of stormwater systems and surface waters, such as lakes and streams, would be reduced significantly with control of this remaining point source of pollution, i.e. oil and greases. Furthermore, this type of pollution is readily preventable, and yields a net benefit of lower operating and maintenance costs for the City’s wastewater system through source control by the user.
PROGRAM CRITERIA
Non-residential customers: All users with the potential to contribute oil & grease, including animal fats, vegetable oils and petroleum (hydrocarbon) based products, to the City’s wastewater system will be required to participate in the Oil & Grease Management Program. Non-residential users that discharge less than 10,000 gpd to the wastewater system will participate in the Oil & Grease Management Program. Non-residential users that discharge more than 10,000 gpd to the wastewater system will be defined as significant commercial users and will be in the Surcharge Program. The Director of Public Works will have the discretion of assigning a user to a specific program.
Non-residential users that will be required to participate in the Oil & Grease Management Program include food preparation facilities, such as restaurants, fast food outlets, hotels, motels, tourist attractions, movie theaters, nursing homes, assisted living residences, food preparation enterprises, community centers, and automobile related enterprises, such as car washes, auto repair shops, auto dealerships, auto service centers, car rental agencies, transportation facilities, fleet maintenance facilities, truck stops and commercial laundries.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
The focus of the Oil & Grease Management Program is the proper operation and maintenance of grease maintenance devices. By contrast, the focus of the surcharge Program will be the equitable cost recovery for excessive loadings of compatible pollutants, such as BODs, and TSS.
The elements of the Oil & Grease Management Program include:
- Initial registration;
- Design and construction standards;
- Operating and maintenance standards;
- Self-reporting;
- Periodic facility compliance inspections;
- Program fees; and
- Public education
Minimum design and construction standards should be established for the different types of grease management devices. The design and construction standards shall be based on the latest version of the Florida Plumbing Code and all applicable engineering standards. In general, under the sink grease traps would be prohibited for new facilities. The Public Works Director or the Building Department will be responsible for design (plan) review and inspections of new construction.
The user will be required to pump-out and clean the grease management device on a regularly scheduled basis, and report the activities to the City. The user will be required to keep a service log of maintenance activities. The user and/or waste hauler is responsible for the timely submittal of the Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report to the City by facsimile at 352-326-6628 or via mail to 550 S 14th . Street Leesburg, FL 34749 Both the user and hauler will be required to sign the Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report. The user shall retain records for at least 3 years and make the files available for inspection by the City.
Waste haulers shall completely remove the entire contents from the grease management device and clean the walls and other parts of the device. The waste hauler is required to sign the Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report following each pump-out. The Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report contains a certification statement that states the grease management device was serviced and cleaned properly. The Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report tracks the wastes from the user to the treatment disposal facility in an attempt to minimize illegal discharges to the wastewater system or improper maintenance of the grease management devices. The user, waste hauler and treatment disposal facility will receive a copy of the Hauler Manifest/User Compliance Report.
The City will conduct random facility compliance inspections to verify that the grease management device is being properly operated and maintained. The Sewer Use Ordinance (Chapter 22) contains specific criteria for the grease layer and the solids blanket to meet for compliance. Public education will be performed during the facility visits to help the user comply with the requirements of the Oil & Grease Management Program. The program fee will be included on the monthly utility statement.
Public education is one of the cornerstones for a successful Oil & Grease Management Program. Public education will range from how to properly self-report maintenance activities to information on Best Management Practices (BMPs). All of the public education workshops and hand-outs will be designed to assist the user to effectively comply with the program requirements in an economical manner. A brochure and wall posters describing proper maintenance of grease management devices and BMPs are available.
Best management practices for the oil & grease program include:
- Pollution prevention;
- Waste minimization;
- Spill prevention, containment, and clean-up;
- Recycling used oils & greases (wastes);
- Food preparation practices;
- Housekeeping and kitchen practices;
- Restricted use of garbage grinders; and
- Employee training programs.
Pollution prevention and waste minimization strategies offer the best opportunity to reduce contributions of oil & grease to the wastewater system. Implementation of these strategies and diligent follow through by management with employees will keep grease away and solids out of the grease management devices and lower overall maintenance costs.
One of the most effective management practices is scraping food wastes into a garbage container before placing the dishes in the washer. This practice removes both grease and solids from the waste stream.
Best management practices are never effective if the employees do not follow the guidelines and are diligent in their efforts. Employee training programs reinforce the concepts and focus attention on the daily routines to implement the best management practices. Employee training should be conducted on a regular basis.
If you should have any questions, or need additional information, or wish to request public education materials, please call (352) 254-0653 weekdays between 7:00am and 3:00pm.