FOG forum in Fort Smith shares what food service, processing businesses can expect from new ordinance

The Fort Smith Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) ordinance went into effect in January as required by the federal consent decree, but will likely not reach the enforcement stage until early 2018, according to Fort Smith Utilities Deputy Director of Operations Lance McAvoy.

The consent decree is an agreement between the city of Fort Smith and the Department of Justice that is estimated to require a $480 million investment by 2026 to improve the city’s water and sewer system. The costs related to Clean Water Act violations with the city’s water and sewer system. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turned the matter over to the DOJ in 2006.

To help prepare for the FOG enforcement, the department has launched an educational campaign consisting of fliers in residents’ water and sewer bills and a series of public outreach forums.

The third forum was held Monday (March 6) at the Creekmore Community Center. McAvoy’s presentation focused on the contents of the ordinance as well as measures FOG generators (mostly food service and food processing establishments) can begin taking now in order to comply.

The ordinance requires FOG generators to complete and sign a survey regarding their business, including contact information and details about the facility and its operations. Permits are issued at no charge to the applicant and must be renewed every two years. However, that’s not to say it will be without cost to the business. New FOG generating businesses will need to ensure they have the necessary equipment (i.e. grease traps or grease intercepts). Most existing businesses will simply be out the cost of maintaining equipment as state and local plumbing codes already require some form of adequate trap or intercept for the purpose of FOG maintenance.

McAvoy said the cost of equipment can vary greatly depending on size with 40-gallon traps running about $500 while 1,000-gallon intercepts can cost as much as $10,000. Replacement costs also vary depending on how well the business maintains its equipment. Proper maintenance requires cleaning the trap or intercept regularly. Also, “the newer fiberglass devices tend to last longer than the concrete,” he added.

If a business is found to be out-of-compliance or needs to replace equipment, the ordinance allows a 180-day grace period for the business owner to prepare for the purchase and installation of the device. Owners of food trucks, which are on the rise throughout the city, will be required to discharge FOG at restaurants with properly maintained FOG control devices.

McAvoy told Talk Business & Politics after Monday’s forum the city did not have figures on the number of FOG generators currently active in Fort Smith, nor did it know how much FOG-related sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) had cost in prior years, but noted that of the city’s more than 200 backups in 2016, “60-80” (40%) were due to FOG buildup, “and that’s down from 2014 when it was 80%.”

“It may take three years or so for FOG to build back up after lines have been cleaned,” McAvoy said, noting city workers clean out materials each time they conduct a sanitary sewer assessment. Over the last two years, approximately 120 miles of the city’s 500-mile system have received SSAs, “so that’s helped,” McAvoy added.

New York City conducted a FOG assessment in 2014 and found that of 15,000 sewer backups reported, 62% were FOG-related, costing approximately $4.65 million in maintenance and replacement costs.

The final FOG public forum will be held on March 16 from the Elm Grove Community Center starting at 6 p.m.