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Apr 28, 2009 9:11 pm US/Central
Grease Trap Laws Fry Some Dallas Businesses
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Image of a clogged sewage pipe in the City of Fort Worth.
KTVT / KTXA
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. That someone is Lamar Booker. As an inspector for Dallas Water Utilities, it's Booker's job to inspect thousands of grease traps installed behind restaurants, bars, convenience stores and school cafeterias.
"When these tanks get full, they don't function properly, and a lot of the grease escapes into the sanitary sewer system," said Booker.
Why is Dallas cracking down on grease traps? From 2004 to 2006, the city had 272 sanitary sewer overflows that sent raw sewage into the streets and waterways. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stepped in and ordered Dallas to clean up its act.
"Unfortunately, we've had a problem in the City of Dallas with sanitary sewer overflows. That's why we have this program, because we want to make sure that the quality of life is good for everyone," said Helen Dulac, Dallas Water Utilities. "Nobody wants sewage running down the streets and nobody wants to live next to a Trinity River full of dead fish."
The city has drastically reduced the number of overflows, but says it still has a long way to go. Pictures illustrate how many grease traps remain neglected.
The grease then seeps into the sewer system and blocks the pipes, much like a clogged artery. It eventually leads to sewage overflow that threatens not only our lakes and rivers, but also our drinking water.
The crackdown, however, has also created some enemies. Many coffee shops, bars and delis that don't use cooking oil have been ordered to install grease traps.
It seems silly to the owners of the Murray Street Coffee Shop since the majority of their sales come from coffee.
"If we went out of business and a resident moved in and was frying bacon every day and pouring it down the sink, then the city would have a worse situation then they do with us as a commercial business," said Douglas Davis, Murray Street Coffee Shop.
But the city issued a warning anyway and now the mom and pop coffee shop needs to come up with nearly $10,000 for a grease trap. It's a price they say could force them out business.
Dallas Water Utilities says it must enforce the law even for businesses that do not use cooking oil because grease can still be found in mayonnaise, salad dressing and specialty coffees.
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