The board discusses problems caused by disposal of waste fats from some area businesses.
LEWISTON – Poorly maintained grease traps at some bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores may have to be repaired and kept clean with regular enforcement to keep grease out of the sewer systems.
The Board of Directors of the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority discussed the need for stricter regulations and enforcement Friday.
According to Superintendent Clayton “Mac” Richardson, the grease can plug pipelines and clog the system at the treatment plant. When separated from sewage, getting rid of the grease is another problem for the facility.
“It’s a problem for a lot of facilities and collection systems nationally,” Richardson told the board. “It needs to be a cooperative effort by us, the code enforcement officers (in Auburn and Lewiston) and by the collection systems.” He said a large part of the problem is the frequency that grease traps are cleaned. Part of the problem also is from the disposal of fat trimmings from meat in butcher shops at grocery stores. Richardson said limits for businesses disposing of grease must be put into place that are reasonable to meet.
A proposal before the board calls for the establishment of a surcharge of 10 to 15 cents per pound of grease put into the system.
“I concur with everything in here (the proposal), except the surcharge. I don’t want to give anyone an avenue to dispose of grease in the sewer system and pay a surcharge for it,” said Norm Lamie, a board member and the superintendent of the Auburn Sewerage District.
The board took no action on the proposal at Friday’s meeting.
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