Saugus board favors alternative grease traps for restaurants

SAUGUS – In an impromptu discussion at their meeting Monday, members of the Saugus Board of Health admitted they were looking favorably on alternative means for grease traps.?I?ve got to tell you, from reading these, I?m impressed,” said Chairman Joseph Vinard, holding up pamphlets for an automated grease removal system. “I want to see them in action,” said Vinard. “I want to see what they can do.”The discussion came following a recent Board of Selectmen meeting in which the Board of Health and some restaurateurs showed to discuss new alternatives to the conventional grease traps. The board was overwhelmed with the information and simultaneous requests for grease traps waivers, and Chairman Ellen Faiella said they would review the information for an official discussion at a later time.Public Health Director Frank Giacalone explained in a phone interview Wednesday that when dishes or foods are washed in a restaurant, the grease that goes down must go through a trap – otherwise it will solidify and cause blockages in the sewer pipes.A conventional grease trap would catch the grease, solidify it and keep it within its system, producing waste water without grease. “The problem is that when it?s not pumped out enough, the grease within the box rises and creates blockages,” said Giacalone. “That can cause back-up in an establishment.”Comparatively, a mechanism inside the automated grease removal system separates the grease, removes it and stores it in a plastic jug instead of it having to be pumped out like in a conventional system. Giacalone said certain companies will either buy the oil or pick it up for free for their own use.?That type of oil can be used for other uses,” said Giacalone, pointing to the example of a biodiesel-operated car.Giacalone said with a traditional trap, the process of pumping out the grease “causes an odor like you wouldn?t believe.At their meeting Monday, prompted by Vinard, the board agreed a system that caused less clogging was appealing, especially since it could save restaurant owners money long-term.Vinard said in one particular model he read about, the system would churn out waste water that was clean enough to be put back into the ground.?It?s amazing what it can do for pipes,” he added.Giacalone said even if the town were to allow restaurants to use the automated traps, they would most likely still need an additional external trap for back-up.