GWI demands grease traps /interceptors installation

Jun 12, 2009 News

GWI PRO, Rawle Aaron, explains the function of the grease trap

Had efforts been engaged earlier to ensure that certain entities are making use of grease traps or interceptors, the Georgetown Sewerage System could have been in a better state today.
This pronouncement was made yesterday by GWI Public Relations Officer, Rawle Aaron, during a press briefing at the water company’s Vlissengen Road headquarters.
He said that as GWI steps up its efforts to address the problems affecting the sewerage system, the entity has moved to emphasise the importance of restaurants and hotels having grease trap mechanisms in place.
Aaron said that these persons are mandated to put these in place with much urgency.
At the briefing, Aaron had on display a grease trap which he said the owners of restaurants, caterers, school cafeterias and other commercial cooking facilities must use and avoid discharging grease into the sewerage system.

According to information from GWI, typical building codes require all such new or rebuilt facilities to install a grease interceptor to pre-treat grease entering a sewer.
“All units should be fitted with a standard final-stage sample box and interceptors must typically be sized for at least a 30-minute peak wastewater flow detention time from all contributory sources.”
The grease trap apparatus, the Public Relations Officer said, is expected to be placed under the sinks of these entities where greasy substances are allowed to exit. The grease traps or interceptors are passive devices required by municipalities to stop grease, fat, oil, wax or debris from entering the city’s sanitary sewer system, Aaron said. The mechanism, the PRO noted, could cost approximately $20,000 based on the type of material that it is made of.

According to Aaron, the GWI campaign to encourage the use of the grease interceptors is likely to see persons being prosecuted if they fail to comply in the long run.
“We haven’t prosecuted anybody as yet, but we have been warning persons. We have found that only about 10 to 15 per cent of the persons operating restaurants have a grease trap in place. This is unsatisfactory, we cannot accept this anymore, it is damaging our sewerage system immensely.”
The practice of congesting the system with other foreign material has also been listed as another factor that is causing major concern to the integrity of the system.
Recently, Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, revealed that the entities were given about one week to comply with regulations which specify that they must have measures in place to mitigate the risk of clogging the sewerage system.

He said that a major challenge that contributes to the deterioration of the system is the intrusion of solid waste, including household items, which cannot be moved by the sewerage pumps.
This, as a result leads to the overflow of effluent, said GWI Acting Chief Executive, Yuri Chandisingh.
“On almost every occasion that we have intervened, and we have gone into those areas, particularly near hotels, we have found this is the problem; these items block our system because they are put in indiscriminately.
We call on the hotel and restaurant operators to ensure this does not happen because they will be penalised.”
But according to Aaron, GWI will also be tasked with taking on an educational approach to instil the need for persons to adopt a more conscious effort in terms of protecting the sewerage system.