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The owner of a facility with one or more fats, oil or grease generating activities shall install a grease interceptor. All grease interceptors shall be installed on the premises where fats, oil and grease are used or generated. These facilities are required to install, operate, and maintain an approved type and adequately sized grease interceptor necessary to maintain compliance with the objectives of these regulations. The grease interceptor shall be adequate to separate and remove fats, oil and grease contained in wastewater discharges prior to the sanitary sewer system.

A. New Facilities. Newly proposed or constructed facilities, including tenant improvements that change the use classification to a food service establishment, food sales establishment, food processing establishment, or a new mixed use development with the potential to generate fats, oil, and grease shall:

1. Be required to install, operate and maintain an approved type and adequately sized gravity grease interceptor and/or oil/water separator as necessary to maintain compliance with the requirements as described in this chapter, and as necessary to prevent a condition of prohibited discharge; or

2. A hydromechanical grease interceptor may be utilized instead of a gravity grease interceptor if it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director that the installation of a gravity grease interceptor is physically impracticable. For the purposes of this determination, “physically impracticable” shall include (a) the lack of available space on the premises, (b) unavoidable interference from underground utilities or structures, or (c) topographical conditions such as slope that unavoidably prevent installation of a gravity grease interceptor.

3. A hydromechanical grease interceptor may be utilized instead of a gravity grease interceptor if the gravity grease interceptor sizing in the currently adopted plumbing code results in an interceptor volume (gallons) 750 gallons or less.

4. A separate gravity grease interceptor may be provided for each individual unit of a building structure that is proposed for, or could be potentially converted in the future into, a food service, food sales, or food processing establishment. The City may allow the separate gravity grease interceptors to be installed at a later date, when food service, food sales, or food processing establishments are added through tenant improvements; provided, that the side sewer lines leaving the building are designed to functionally accommodate the installation of future interceptors at accessible locations.

5. One or more food service establishments may comply with the requirements of this chapter by use of a shared gravity grease interceptor; provided, however, that the food service establishment seeking to establish compliance by means of this section shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Director that (a) it has enforceable rights to utilize shared gravity grease interceptor pursuant to an easement; declaration; covenants, conditions, and restrictions; or similar instrument; and (b) the shared gravity grease interceptor is sized as necessary to accommodate the discharges of all food service establishments enjoying rights to use such interceptor; and (c) there is a mechanism providing continued maintenance of such shared gravity grease interceptor.

6. Any food service, food sales, or food processing establishment undertaking a remodel, as defined herein, will be reviewed, and may be considered a new facility for the purposes of this chapter.

7. Implement best management practices to reduce the quantity of fats, oil and grease discharged to the sanitary sewer collection system.

B. Existing Facilities. Existing facilities shall:

1. Implement best management practices to reduce the quantity of fats, oil and grease discharged to the sanitary sewer collection system.

2. Be permitted to operate and maintain existing grease interceptors; provided, that the equipment is properly sized and in efficient operating condition.

3. Any facility not meeting subsection (B)(2) of this section is required to meet the currently adopted plumbing code if undertaking a remodel as defined in this chapter.

4. Install a properly sized and functioning grease interceptor designed to meet the grease control requirements in this chapter if the facility is known to cause a build-up of grease in any public sewer facility, is the result of a sanitary sewer overflow, or is otherwise causing a prohibited discharge. Installation must be completed within 180 calendar days from notification by the City.

C. Permits. Site and building modifications needed to install a grease interceptor are subject to the permitting requirements of the side sewer code (Chapter 13.40 IMC), the buildings and construction code (IMC Title 16), and other codes as applicable. (Ord. 2716 § 2 (Exh. A1), 2014; Ord. 2612 § 2 (Exh. A1), 2011).