Keyser To Go After Neglected Grease Trap Cleaning

Liz Beavers of the Mineral Daily News-Tribune wrote a January 2017 story about how with the help of the recycling company that collects the grease, the City of Keyser is planning to crack down on those businesses whose failure to clean out their grease traps is creating a problem with the sanitary sewer system.

City administrator Randy Amtower noted during the Keyser City Council’s Jan. 11 meeting that the city is “having issues with grease” which is left in the traps and therefore clogging the sewer lines.

“The health department requires these food establishments to have a grease trap,” he said, noting that the problem is coming from traps which are not being properly maintained and the grease therefore gets into the sewer system.

Council member Terry Liller commented that he felt businesses are not cleaning out the traps because “it’s more profitable for them to just let it go and let the city take care of it.”

Amtower said, however, with the city cracking down on enforcement of the issue, “we’ll make it quite costly for them if they choose to neglect the trap.”

The city does have an ordinance which covers the issue.

“Ordinance 252, the Sewer Use Ordinance, was passed in 1999,” he said this week. “In it, they’re required to maintain (the grease trap), they’re required to keep track of it and we’re entitled to inspect it.”

As a first step in the enforcement of the ordinance, Amtower suggested drafting a letter from the city to the businesses reminding them of the law.

The letters will also go out to the New Creek and McCoole public service districts since they feed into Keyser’s system.

Amtower said the grease is a concern to the city “especially now, with the new sewer system coming on line.”

Amtower also said that Valley Proteins, the recycling company which cleans out the traps, will keep a list of which businesses they have serviced and provide it to the Mineral County Health Department, which will then work with the city.

“There’s really no excuse for this; these businesses know what they’re supposed to do,” council member Karol Ashenfelter said.

With proper grease trap cleaning and other EPA guidelines being mandated by more municipalities, The Drain Strainer helps keep food debris out of your pipes and from being flushed into the sewer system.