What is a grease interceptor and how does it function?
A grease interceptor (to the right, click image to enlarge) is an in ground vault, roughly the size of a septic tank, with a minimum capacity of 700 gallons, but normally consisting of 1,000 gallons or more. It is located and installed on the exterior, private side, of the building or property. Current International Plumbing Code (IPC), which both the JCSA and Virginia Department of Health adhere to, require a minimum of two compartments with flow between each compartment designed for FOG retention. Wastewater enters on the building side and exits the interceptor at the downstream outlet, minus the FOG component. The capacity of the interceptor provides adequate time so that the wastewater has time to cool, allowing any remaining grease not collected by the traps time to solidify and accumulate until the interceptor is cleaned. With the size of this system, cleaning is usually extended to a weekly/monthly calendar, but must be done by a septic service contractor. If the facility antici
