Micro-Bac International, Inc.
Grease Traps
Business Shopping center with 341 commercial establishments, 28 of them in food service, such as bars, snack bars, restaurants, sweet shops, etc.
Operation The shopping center discharges its sewage and food service effluents into the city sewer system after passage through grease traps, plumbing, fiber collectors, and sumps that are intended to reduce the organic load and retain solids and inorganic matter.
Problem The sumps and grease traps require frequent cleaning. The sumps, emptied every other night, were clogged with rotting debris and accumulations of silty organic sludge. These problems reduced the amount of useful volume. Grease traps and restaurant plumbing were clogged with grease. Odor problems and operational problems resulted in constant workforce concerns.
Treatment A large (4.9 cu. m) = 1295 gallon) grease trap was chosen for a pilot test. This site experienced heavy grease buildup in the plumbing and bad odors. One-half liter of Mega-Bac® X was pumped daily into the grease trap, which was completely clogged with grease; and another half-liter daily into the drain at the entrance to the piping by the restaurant.
Results A few days after inoculation, the grease trap odors disappeared. After 30 days of treatment, the 1,295 gal. grease trap was opened and the water level was low, with no grease present. The plumbing was also opened and the grease buildup had been displaced by a thin layer of Mega-Bac bacteria.
Conclusion Mega-Bac significantly reduced the need for manual cleaning of the grease traps, eliminating problems with the sump pumps and controlling odors. Furthermore, less organic matter passing through the sumps extends equipment life, and reduces future environmental problems.