Township of Clark, NJ Article VI Control and Inspection of Business Sewers

[Added 7-16-2012 by Ord. No. 12-07]

§ 279-24 Grease traps.

A. Grease traps shall be installed by owners of all retail food establishments, commercial food processors, meat processors, or similar food preparers. The traps will be necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease or other harmful ingredients, except that such grease traps shall not be required for private dwellings. Existing grease traps must conform to current plumbing code. Any new installations must apply for a permit through the Building Department of the Township of Clark.

B. The aforestated establishments shall be required to treat their discharge with an approved bacteriological product which contains bacterial culture/enzymes to degrade organic materials and protect the environmental discharges into the sewer system and eliminate the control of grease in the sewer system.

C. The grease traps shall be located so that they are readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection, and each establishment will be required to train and have personnel available who are able to open said traps for inspection by an authorized representative of the Township.

D. The grease traps shall be continuously maintained in order to provide satisfactory and effective operation by the owner, at the owner's expense, and shall be of the size and type necessary for the efficient operation of the requirements of this article.

E. There shall be no bypass of the grease trap facilities which would allow the entry of untreated or partially treated waste to the public sewer system.

F. The bacteriological products utilized must be free of wilting agents, additives and reducing agents, solvents or chemical degreasers.

G. The bacteria shall be introduced in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and introduced into the system after closing or during the period of time with the least amount of business activity, once during every twenty-four-hour period, or as directed by the Township designee.

H. The operator of the affected establishment shall provide a quarterly grease trap report to the Township. Complete reports shall include the grease trap cover sheet as provided by the Township, grease trap cleaning invoice(s), grease trap bioenzyme invoice(s), and waste oil disposal records for each quarter. Quarterly reports shall adhere to the below schedule. The grace period shall mean calendar days and shall include weekends and holidays.

[Amended 7-7-2014 by Ord. No. 14-17]

Quarter	Due Date	Grace Period
January 1 to March 31	March 31	April 10
April 1 to June 30	June 30	July 10
July 1 to September 30	September 30	October 10
October 1 to December 31	December 31	January 10

I. The Board of Health shall be designated to oversee, inspect and enforce the provisions of this article.

§ 279-25 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 8-17-2015 by Ord. No. 15-15]

A. When the inspector determines that there has been a violation of any provision of this chapter, written notice of the violation shall be given to the owner and any occupant of the property by mail. The violator(s) shall be given 10 days from the date of mailing of the notice in which to remedy the violation or contact the Building Department to set up a timetable for compliance.

B. If the violation is not remedied within the ten-day period, the violator shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250, plus costs, for this first violation. Each date on which such violation occurs or exists shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter.

C. Repeat offenses under this chapter shall be subject to increased fines as provided for below. As used in this section, "repeat offenses" means a second or subsequent violation of the same requirement or provision of this chapter for which the person admits responsibility or is determined to be responsible. The increased fine for repeat offenses shall be as follows:

(1) The fine for any offense which is a first repeat offense shall be $500, plus costs; and

(2) The fine for any offense which is a second repeat offense or any subsequent repeat offense shall be $750, plus costs.

D. In addition to other remedies under this chapter, the Township may bring an action against the owner of the property for which the violation exists for the costs incurred in cleaning up and abating the offending condition. In any such action, the Township shall be entitled to recover its costs of suit, together with reasonable attorneys' fees and experts' fees, if applicable.

§ 279-26 Grease trap registration required.

[Added 6-19-2023 by Ord. No. 23-19]

A. No grease trap shall be operated until a registration has been obtained from the Township Health Department by the owner of the establishment wherein the grease trap is operated.

B. Registrations shall be required for each grease trap operated and shall be renewed annually.

C. Registrations shall not be transferable between owners, businesses, or grease traps.

D. Registrations shall be displayed conspicuously in public view, at eye level, and adjacent to the establishment's retail food establishment license.

E. Initial and renewal registrations shall require completion of an application promulgated by the Township Health Department and submission of a fee in the amount of $100 to the Township Health Department.

F. Initial and renewal applications shall include the following: 1) A grease trap maintenance log for the last 12 months detailing cleaning with the date, specific grease trap, and person or licensed solid waste firm performing maintenance and 2) Copies of manifests, receipts, or other documentation confirming proper disposition of grease interceptor waste by a solid waste transporter.