Every food service establishment in Maryland is required to have a pre-treatment device installed to intercept,  separate and contain the  fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in the wastewater discharge from sinks and other sources in food preparation areas.   These device are commonly referred to as a “grease trap”; however this is a misnomer as the devices and the requirements of each county or jurisdiction range from hydro mechanical devices, grease removal devices, grease traps, and grease interceptors – all of which perform relatively the same function but by different methods and mechanisms.

Each County and Jurisdiction has specific requirements adopted by that locale; some areas are more flexible in their accepting of a variety of grease intercepting devices, others are very specific.

For example, there are several counties that require – without exception – that all FOG producing fixtures include three compartment sinks, dishwashers, mop sinks, and floor drains be connected to a 2000 gallon interceptor located outside underground; while other counties are content that only the FOG producing sinks and dishwashers are connected to a hydromechanical unit located on the floor directly adjacent to the sink. In addition, there are some jurisdiction that fall in between these two requirements and allow various grease intercepting devices to satisfy the requirement.

In addition to which type of grease intercepting device is required by the County or Jurisdiction, the proper sizing of the equipment is very important as well – a device that is too small will not be able to accommodate the flow discharge and FOG will pass through the device leading to long term costly accumulation of FOG in sewer lines and possible fines from the municipality.   Conversely, sizing a unit too large will result in unnecessary cost and utilization of valuable space in the kitchen area, as well as higher maintenance cost. 

The selection and installation of the proper grease intercepting device should be considered in the initial stages of site selection for your new food service establishment.   There is significant cost difference between a 2000 gallon exterior unit and an interior hydromechanical unit. 

Northstar Commercial Construction ( click here) has the experience and knowledge to provide guidance and information through the FOG requirements, as well as all design, planning, permitting and construction of your food service establishment.   We look forward to earning your business.