SF to Get the Grease Out of Its Sewers
The city spends about $3.5 million annually to unclog sewers, and restaurants are a key to prevention
San Franciscans know the chilly fog that blankets the city almost every day, but they might not know another "fog" is lurking in the city's sewer system: fats, oils and grease (F.O.G.).
The city spends about $3.5 million annually to unclog sewers filled with such wastes from food service establishments, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week in favor of an ordinance by Supervisor Eric Mar that requires all restaurants that handle fats, oils and grease to install devices to capture the discarded waste and for the devices to be properly maintained and cleaned.
“Currently, San Francisco law prohibits dumping of fats, oils and grease in drains leading to our sewer system, but the current law has not been successful in preventing F.O.G entering the sewers. It's estimated that over 40 percent of the sewer system service work orders are F.O.G related,” said Mar.
Karen Hurst, project manager for the utilities commission, said inspectors have been working for a number of years with restaurants to educate them on best management practices, including how to discard fats, oils and waste.
“The one thing we found out is that we weren't focused on the grease traps themselves. No one really looks at them after they are put in. There might be restaurants who haven't cleaned it in the past five years and it just becomes hard and crusty,” said Hurst.
Hurst also said finance help would be made available for restaurants that need to install a grease capturing equipment, including reducing sewer service charges by 14.2 percent, which would pay for the equipment within one to three years.
Kevin Westlye, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association,with over 900 member restaurants, said he supports the legislation because it will weed out the restaurants that are not obeying the city code.
“This really addresses the worst violators who create a lot of grease and who have no system in place right now,” said Westlye.
The ordinance takes effect on April 1.
marc os
Wow, Eric got the GGRA to acknowledge the need for some smart regulation, good work.
Kathleen Sullivan is probably spinning in her grave.
Next, perhaps we can talk some sense into the RBA.
-marc