What a Waste: Grease Interceptor Cleaning Prepares Water for Treatment

If you own a home, restaurant, business, or anything else that houses regular human activity, then you also have a lot of something else: waste. We don't always think about the waste material we pump out in the course of our daily routines, but the stuff we send down the drains and into our communal sewage system can really pile up.

Our sinks are a major receptacle for unseemly chemicals and substances. The oils we send down into the pipes from our kitchens and bathrooms have to be monitored and eliminated. This is where grease traps come in. These devices catch oils in water that flows through the plumbing system. Grease interceptor cleaning is essential to keeping unwanted materials at bay.

Functionality

When wastewater enters a disposal system, it contains a mix of fats, oils, and greases (commonly referred to as FOG) that form a layer of scum on its surface. Septic tanks and treatment facilities can usually break this stuff down, thereby cleaning the water. But homes, restaurants, and commercial sites often produce too much FOG for treatment facilities to handle. This is where the grease interceptor cleaning process comes in. The trap assists in filtering out some of these scum-forming agents so that the septic tank can cleanse the wastewater without a hitch.

FOG traps have been used since the 1800s. An interceptor waste unit is usually located right on the property of the establishment that uses it. It can be located inside the building or somewhere underground outside. They range from 35-liter to a 45,000-liter capacity, depending on the needs of the site. When outflow from a sink enters the interceptor, it's held there for a time so that the FOG can float to the top. Then, voila: the trap releases this relatively FOG-free water into the septic system.

Hygienic Standards

Without some line of defense, FOG agents can congeal and back up sewer systems. FOG buildups cause an estimated 50% of all sewer overflows, which amounts to 10 billion gallons of spillage each year. To avert this very smelly kind of disaster, most towns and cities require all commercial kitchen sites to employ traps and arrange for regular purging of the FOG, with inspectors checking on the units' function and hygiene annually.

Cleaning

Grease interceptor cleaning is of course a key part of this overall pipe hygiene. The traps contain a lot of buildup, which needs to be disposed of so that the unit can continue filtering effluvia out of the water. This job has to be handled by a professional grease interceptor cleaning company. The pros will show up at your location to pump the bad stuff out of your unit, and they will ensure that your trap complies with city regulations and FOG compliance regulations.

There's no way to avoid waste materials, but there are ways to effectively dispose of them. The right technology, combined with proper maintenance, can ensure that our shared sewage system keeps rolling along smoothly.

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