Texas Councilman Caught In Grease Trap Ordinance Enforcement

A City Council in Texas heard a report regarding local business compliance with City ordinances, specifically the required installation of backflow prevention devices and the operation of grease traps.

The report stated the monthly inspections of grease traps installed in local restaurants, schools, and establishments that provide daily food preparation are performed by the Public Works staff at a cost of $50 per month to each owner.

The report stated that some grease trap owners have multiple failed inspections, for which the Public Works Department must reinspect. However, the business owner is not currently charged for the reinspection.

If the City were to start outsourcing the monthly inspections, the cost of the inspections would increase because any third-party would charge for the re-inspections.

The City currently has 26 locations with grease traps subject to monthly inspections. It is the business owner’s responsibility to ensure the grease trap sufficiently handles the volume of grease and to perform routine maintenance on the grease interceptor.

The report states that there can be multiple reasons a trap fails inspection. Sometimes the pump schedule can vary from the inspection time. Therefore, the trap may need to be pumped, but the business is scheduled for the trap to be pumped next week. A full grease interceptor that needs to be pumped isn’t an automatic fail. It also depends on whether grease is getting into the outflow pipes.

When a business fails an inspection, they are notified by mail and told a reinspection will occur in 10 days.

One of the City Councilmen is the owner of a local restaurant that has failed the grease trap inspection in 4 out of 6 months. Upon reinspection, the required corrections were completed. But the establishment was still considered one of the habitual violators of the City’s grease trap ordinance.

The councilman had not yet recused himself from Council’s conversations on grease traps.

If you’d like to prevent problems with food solids clogging your grease trap, consider installing The Drain Strainer. Invented by a former restaurant owner, The Drain Strainer captures food solids in the strainer drawer while still allowing your sinks to drain quickly. It is also an effective and affordable commercial garbage disposal alternative.