Half Moon Bay Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate maximum beneficial use of the city's sewer services and facilities while preventing blockages and overflows of the sewer lines resulting from discharges of fats, oils, grease (FOG), sand and other insoluble waste into the public sewer. This chapter specifies FOG and insoluble waste discharge requirements and prohibitions for food service establishments (FSEs), commercial and industrial businesses, and other entities with potential to introduce FOG and insoluble waste into the city's public sewer collection system.

The chapter provides for city inspections and enforcement and requires FOG and insoluble waste dischargers to participate in the city's FOG control program and obtain a FOG waste discharge permit as a condition of waste discharge into the city's public sewer collection system.

The provisions set forth in this chapter allow the city to meet applicable standards designed to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The objective is to eliminate FOG and insoluble waste-related sanitary sewer obstructions, blockages and overflows; improve sanitary sewer manhole, pipe and lift station conditions; decrease sewer maintenance and treatment costs; prevent residential and commercial property damage and protect the environment.

(Ord. C-2023-03 § 2 (Att. A), 2023)

This section applies to all "food service establishments" (FSEs), "food manufacturer/processors" (FM/Ps), commercial and industrial businesses and other entities with potential to discharge wastewater containing fats, oils, grease, sand or other insoluble waste to the city sanitary sewer system including, but not limited to, restaurants, grocery stores, meat markets, hotels, factory and office building cafeterias, public and private schools, hospitals, commercial day care centers, and churches, located within the city's public sewer collection system.

Commercial and industrial businesses covered by this section include, but are not limited to, oil, sand, grit and insoluble waste dischargers such as automotive repair businesses, car washes, and commercial trash enclosures within the city's public sewer collection system.

This chapter shall become effective on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter and is intended to complement, rather than supersede, the provisions of city building codes and regulations applicable to installation and operation of grease capturing equipment.

(Ord. C-2023-03 § 2 (Att. A), 2023)

The following definitions shall apply to this chapter. Where terms are not defined, the definitions in Chapter 13.12 shall apply.

A.

"Best management practices"

("BMPs") means operational activities, prohibitions, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the direct or indirect introduction of FOG and insoluble waste into the public sewer. BMPs shall implement the regulations and prohibitions of this chapter, state and federal law, and any authorizations and permits issued by the city of Half Moon Bay to control discharge and disposal of FOG and insoluble waste.

B.

"Change in operations"

means any change in the ownership, food types or operational procedures that have the potential to change the amount of FOG discharged.

C.

"Collection system"

means portions of the public sewer consisting of all pipes, sewers and conveyance systems conveying wastewater to the publicly owned treatment works (POTW), excluding privately owned sewer service lateral line connections.

D.

"Commercial and industrial businesses"

means entities engaged in business for profit and entities engaged in manufacture, service and repair. For purposes of this section, commercial and industrial businesses that have potential to introduce FOG and insoluble waste into the city's collection system would include, but not be limited to, car washes. Dental offices and facilities with trash enclosures not associated with a FOG producer will be handled under the NDWSCP facilitated by Sewer Authority Mid-Coast.

E.

"Director"

means the public works director, or such director's designee.

F.

"Fats, oils and grease"

("FOG") means grease, oil, fat or other ether soluble matter derived from animal and/or plant sources that contain multiple carbon chain triglyceride molecules, and shall include each of the following two types:

Dispersed grease

, which means grease which is not floatable grease;

Floatable grease

, which means grease which floats on the surface of quiescent sewage water or other liquid or which floats upon dilution of the liquid with water and includes any waste containing quantities or concentrations of dispersed biodegradable fats, oils, and greases.

G.

"FOG control program"

("FOGCP") means the city's program to administer the requirements of this chapter and the general waste discharge requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ.

H.

"FOG wastewater discharge permit"

("FOG WDP") means a permit issued by the city to a person or entity subject to the requirements of this chapter authorizing the wastewater discharger or permittee to discharge wastewater into the city's public sewer collection system subject to and in compliance with the terms, conditions, and criteria of the FOG control program as set forth in this chapter.

I.

"Food manufacturer/food processor"

("FM/P") means any entity utilizing the city's public sewer collection system for operation in a permanently constructed structure, maintained, and used or operated for the purpose of storing, preparing, serving, or manufacturing, packaging, or otherwise handling food for consumption by the public or for sale to other entities, its members, or employees.

J.

"Food service establishment"

("FSE") means a nonresidential wastewater discharger that engages in activities of preparing, serving, or otherwise making available food for consumption by the public or on the premises, including, but not limited to, restaurants, commercial kitchens, caterers, hotels and motels, schools, hospitals, prisons, correctional facilities, nursing homes, care institutions, and any other facility preparing and serving food for public consumption.

K.

"Food grinder" or "garbage grinder" or "garbage disposal"

means any device installed in the plumbing or sanitary sewage system for the purpose of grinding food waste or food preparation byproducts for the purpose of disposing into the city's public sewer collection system.

L.

"Grease control device"

("GCD") means any grease interceptor, grease trap, or other mechanism, device, or process, which is attached to, or is applied to, wastewater plumbing fixtures and lines, the purpose of which is to trap or collect or treat FOG-laden wastewater prior to its discharge into the city sewer system. "Grease control device" also includes any other city-approved method to reduce FOG. Grease control devices must be sized in accordance with the California Plumbing Code and this chapter.

M.

"Grease/sand interceptor"

means a city-approved multicompartment device that is required to be located, as according to the California Plumbing Code, between a wastewater discharger and the discharger's connection to the city sewer system. These devices primarily use gravity to separate FOG and sands from the wastewater as it moves from one compartment to the next. Grease and sand interceptors must be cleaned, maintained, and have the FOG and solids removed and disposed of in accordance with the terms and conditions of this chapter and the city's FOG waste discharge permit.

N.

"Grease trap"

means a city-approved grease control device that is used to serve individual fixtures. Grease traps must be cleaned, maintained, and have the FOG and solids removed and disposed.

O.

"Limited food preparation establishment"

means an FSE that engages only in reheating, hot holding, or assembly of ready to eat food products.

P.

"Property owner"

means a person or entity owning property where a grease interceptor is present that is or has potential to serve one or more FSEs.

Q.

"Remodeling"

means a physical change or operational change that potentially increases the amount of FOG, sand or solid waste discharged to the city's sewer system by the wastewater discharger.

R.

"Public sewer collection"

means the network city owned and operated pipes, pumping stations, and appurtenances that convey sewage from private connections to the wastewater treatment plant.

S.

"Waste discharger," or "discharger"

means any owner, tenant, entity, or person receiving public sewer collection service from the city.

T.

"Waste hauler"

means any person or entity that collects the contents of a grease control device for the purpose of transporting it to a recycling or disposal facility. A waste hauler may also provide grease control device maintenance services.

U.

"Yellow grease"

means used cooking oil, used vegetable oil, recycled vegetable oil, or waste vegetable oil. In restaurants, it is often used oil from deep fryers and griddles.

(Ord. C-2023-03 § 2 (Att. A), 2023)