Grease is difficult to get rid of, but in its liquid form, it is tempting for many people to just pour it down the drain. The issue with putting grease down your drain is that once it has cooled off, it becomes solidified again. With grease lining your pipes, they get clogged. This causes backups and it is also hard on wastewater treatment plants to adequately dispose of excess grease. Unfortunately, grease is resistant to breakdown in water and very hard to clean once it has been introduced to wastewater.
A grease trap is a device that can be installed under the counter directly under a sink or along the piping. Grease traps do exactly what their name implies– trap grease so it will not be carried to the wastewater treatment facility. Grease traps are particularly necessary for restaurants where food is being prepared all day every day and the accumulation of grease in the wastewater can lead to other hazards. Wastewater treatment plants are not able to break down large quantities of grease, and if too much grease enters a plant, it increases the risk of untreated water escaping into the environment. This is very serious, as it can infiltrate the local water supply and make it unsafe.
Grease traps are required for facilities where food is prepared and served. There are codes that specify the locations that must have grease traps installed because of the hazards associated with noncompliance. Once a grease trap has been installed, it is also necessary to have it regularly pumped and cleaned. It is important that people learn more about these devices, so if they need to have one installed, they are aware of the details.