Erie County Sewer Districts FOG & Grease Rules

Key requirements

• Sizing and installation: The Erie County Sewer District's minimum standard for an oil and grease or sediment separator is an exterior unit of at least 750 gallons. [E07]
• Sizing and installation: Interior, under the counter oil and grease separators are designed to protect plumbing from blockages, but are not accepted for protection of the public sanitary sewer system. [E08]
• Sizing and installation: The formulas for sizing oil and grease interceptors, are as follows: 1. Restaurants: [E09]
• Sizing and installation: The required plumbing connections to the oil and grease separator include kitchen sinks, bar sinks, dishwashers or like fixtures in addition to floor drains from kitchens and other food preparation areas. [E03]
• Sizing and installation: Wastewater drains from toilets, hand sinks, clothes washers or other personal hygiene fixtures shall not be connected to oil and grease separator. [E04]
• Sizing and installation: In the plumbing layout of commercial buildings which are not restaurants but may in the future be suitable for food preparation, consideration should be given to the possible future need for an oil and grease separator. [E05]
• Sizing and installation: Wastewater drain lines from areas suitable for food preparation should be kept separate from other wastewater drain lines to a point convenient to install an exterior oil and grease separator. [E06]
• Sizing and installation: Oil and grease and/or sediment separators are to be provided when necessary for the proper handling of Sewage containing excessive amounts of oils and greases, sediment, or other harmful ingredients that are removable by a separator tank. [E10]
• Sizing and installation: Proper installation is crucial for optimum performance of the separator. [E15]
• Sizing and installation: The following are additional guidelines for proper installation. Grease and oil separators are to be: • Vented correctly with a cleanout located immediately downstream; • Readily accessible for inspection, cleaning, and maintenance; [E16]
• Inspections: The Sewer District staff will include review of the oil and grease separator installation as part of the plan approval and inspection of the sewer connection. [E15]
• Inspections: The Sewer District staff will include review of the oil and grease separator installation as part of the plan approval and inspection of the sewer connection. [E17]
• Penalties: Strict Federal prohibitions against Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), facilities that are unable to install properly sized oil and grease separators due to space limitations, may not be permitted to discharge oil and grease laden wastewater. [E18]

What to keep on file

• The application shall include a description of how grease management will be implemented in a manner so as to prevent oil and grease, or grit from entering the sanitary sewer. [E12]
• The application shall include a description as to why the County Standards for exterior oil and grease/grit separators cannot be met. Plans illustrating the existing layout of the facility shall be included as part of the description. [E13]
• The activities proposed for the site shall be presented to explain why oil and grease production from food preparation (or other oil, grease or sediment producing activities) will not result in excessive oil, grease, or sediment entering the sanitary sewer. [E14]

Choosing a hauler

Choose a hauler

Sources

• [E03] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E04] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E05] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E06] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E07] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E08] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E09] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E10] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E12] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E13] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E14] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E15] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E16] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E17] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf
• [E18] https://www3.erie.gov/dsm/sites/www3.erie.gov.dsm/files/2021-07/guidelinesoilgreaseseparators_4-15.pdf