October 27, 2021
In October, 2021, Schier hosted a panel of four pretreatment professionals from different regions across the country. They discussed using non-corrosive grease interceptors, sizing methodology, and much more.
Since the EPAs Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972, 1,000-gallon concrete grease interceptors have been the number one specified type and size in the industry. These units are guaranteed to fail and offer zero performance ratings.
The tides are turning towards non-corrosive, performance-rated products, like those in Schier’s Great Basin™ line, with AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) and specification engineers across the country adopting these higher standards.
The Great Basin™ line ranges from 10 to 1,000 gallons in liquid capacity. The first unit was the GB-250, introduced in 2006. The largest unit, the GB-1000, was recently redesigned from the ground up, positioning it to take over the 1,000-gallon grease interceptor market.
Amanda Albright
Amanda is a five-year veteran in the FOG realm, working for the Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Hampton Roads, VA. HRSD runs a smaller FOG program, with fewer than 100 FSEs (Food Service Establishments), however they work closely with neighboring localities in efforts to form consistent regional ordinances. Recently, they updated their model FOG ordinance standards to include sizing by grease production and the use of non-corrosive grease control devices.
Carlos Hernandez, PE.
Carlos has served more than 18 years with Miami Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management. He is chief of the Water and Wastewater Division, which took over the FOG control program in 2014, at which point they started implementing many of the effective rules that govern the program today. His department takes a “cradle to grave” approach to FOG management, governing it from the point of generation to the final point of disposal.
Clayton Brown
Clayton retired after 30 years working for cleanwater services in Washington County, Oregon, where he was responsible for starting a FOG program in the early 2000s. In 2013 Clayton was involved in changing state code to require that all fixtures and drains connect to a correctly sized grease interceptor. He now works for the Western States Alliance, part of the Pollution Prevention Resource Center in Seattle, Washington, facilitating nationwide training.
Sarah Limb
Sarah has worked for the City of Springfield Department of Environmental Services in Springfield, MO since 2013, after her career inspecting restaurants for the health department. Sarah was instrumental in the prohibition of concrete grease interceptors in her jurisdiction after examining the condition of empty tanks and measuring pH levels to identify and quantify corrosive environments.