Paulding County › Unified Development Ordinance

Title 3 — Development Regulations, Chapter 480 — Grease Interceptors, Oil and Sand Separators

current as of 2026-04-14verified current · checked 2026-08-24Officialofficial source ↗4 sections · full chapter

§ 480-10

General

430-10.01 Guidelines.

This section provides the minimum guidelines for the design and construction of grease interceptors and separators used to minimize the discharge of pollutants associated with commercial waste discharged into the sanitary sewer system which may interfere with the normal operation of said system. The method of design and/or construction shall be in accordance with accepted engineering practices, these Design and Construction Standards and Specifications.

480-10.02 Compliance.

This Section requires compliance with Chapter 66, Article III of the Code of Paulding County, Georgia.

§ 480-20

Applicability

480-20.01 Grease interceptors and separators are required in accordance with the above

referenced Chapter 66, Article III of the Code of Paulding County, Georgia including but not limited to the locations described in the sections below and where deemed necessary by the Paulding County Water System.

480-20.02 Food Service Establishments.

Facilities likely to discharge fats, oils and grease which are newly constructed, or existing facilities which shall be expanded or renovated to include a food service facility where such facilities did not previously exist, shall be required to install an approved, pretreatment device/interceptor. Pretreatment devices/interceptors shall be installed prior to the opening or reopening of such facilities.

A.Likewise, existing commercial facilities shall be required to install an approved, pretreatment device/interceptor when any of the following conditions exist:

1.Facilities that are found to be contributing fats, oils and grease in quantities sufficient to cause line stoppages or necessitate increased maintenance on the collection system.

2.Remodeling of the food preparation or kitchen waste plumbing facility.

3.Change of ownership or lease holder of the facility.

480-20.03 Maintenance and Service Facilities.

All maintenance or service facilities shall provide approved oil and solids removal equipment or facilities sufficient to meet the effluent limits set forth in the aforementioned ordinances. This also includes the remodeling of an automotive related enterprise, commercial laundry or other users that potentially may contribute wastes with petroleum-based oils, greases or lint.

§ 480-30

Design Criteria

480-30.01 Approved types of grease interceptors include either interior and exterior sealed

concrete construction or pre-engineered package systems of steel or fiberglass construction. Any unit requiring the installation of an outlet filter shall have an approved sample port installed immediately outside the unit.

Oil and solids separators for use at maintenance and service establishments shall be pre-engineered package systems of steel or fiberglass construction.

Sanitary wastes shall not be routed through the devices.

480-30.02 Location.

For food service establishments, the best location for grease pretreatment devices/interceptors is in an area outside of an outside wall and installed in-ground. An alternative device and location will be evaluated on an individual basis for facilities when space limitations prohibit the installation of an in-ground unit, or when special conditions exist, such as highly variable flows, high levels of grease discharge, or other unusual situations that are not adequately addressed by the design formulas below.

Each grease pretreatment device/interceptor shall be installed and connected so that it is easily accessible for inspection, cleaning, and removal of the intercepted grease at any time whether the unit is installed outside in-ground or inside the facility.

For maintenance and service facilities the unit shall be located outside of any building and accessible for proper maintenance and inspection.

For both food service establishments and maintenance and service facilities, when located in areas where additional weight loads may exist, the units shall be installed with traffic bearing covers. A separate sampling manhole may be required at the discretion of the Paulding County Water System.

480-30.03 Capacity.

Capacity will be based on the following design criteria and must meet the required effluent quality parameters stated in the water and sewer ordinances.

Certain applications may require the installation of multiple units in series with outlet filters and approved sample port.

480-30.04 Grease Interceptors (Precast Concrete)

For restaurants and food service establishments, interceptor capacity shall be calculated as follows:

A.Grease trap sizes will be based upon the number of seats multiplied by 15 gallons per seat. Minimum trap size is 1,500 gallons and maximum trap size is 3,000 gallons. It shall be the owner/developer's responsibility to install and maintain the trap. Installation of grease interceptors shall be made in the presence of the water system engineering technician.

480-30.05 Pre-Engineered Grease Interceptors.

Pre-engineered grease interceptors shall have a minimum capacity of 1500 gallons and meet the requirements of the Paulding County sewer use ordinance.

Pre-engineered grease interceptors shall remove grease and other floatable materials, solids and other settle able materials from wastewater. The effluent from such units shall have no degreasers, surfactants or emulsifiers. The pre-engineered unit must provide adequate treatment time to limit effluent discharge levels of non-emulsified solvent extractable matter of animal or vegetable origin to a maximum of 100 parts per million (PPM) and total suspended solids (TSS) to 1,000 PPM. Submittal data for pre-engineered grease interceptors shall include the following data as a minimum:

A.Maximum Gravity Flow Rate (GPM) Total Liquid Capacity (Gallons) Grease Storage capacity (Gallons) Solids Storage Capacity (Gallons)

B.The submittal shall also include supporting calculations to justify the design flow rate of the unit, anticipated influent and effluent wastewater characteristics and any other assumptions or criteria used in the design of the unit.

C.Installation of pre-engineered grease interceptors shall be made in the presence of the water system engineering technician.

D.The Owner shall be responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the units and Paulding County Water System reserves the right to require additional facilities or modifications based upon operational performance.

480-30.06 Pre-Engineered Oil and Sand Separators.

Pre-engineered oil and solids separators shall remove grit, free oil and other floatable materials from wastewater. The effluent from such units shall have no degreasers, surfactants or emulsifiers. The pre-engineered unit must provide adequate treatment time to limit effluent discharge levels of non-emulsified solvent extractable matter of mineral or synthetic origin to a maximum of ten (10) parts per million (PPM) and total suspended solids (TSS) to 1,000 PPM.

Submittal data for pre-engineered oil and solids separators shall include the following data as a minimum:

A.Maximum Gravity Flow Rate (GPM) Total Liquid Capacity (Gallons) Grease Storage capacity (Gallons) Solids Storage Capacity (Gallons)

C.Installation of pre-engineered oil and solids separators shall be made in the presence of the water system engineering technician.

§ 480-40

Material Specification

480-40.01 Precast Concrete

A.Tanks.

1.Precast concrete tanks shall be manufactured in a National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) certified manufacturing plant. Tanks shall be manufactured in accordance with ASTM C1613 Standard Specification for Precast Concrete Grease Interceptor Tanks.

2.The interior and exterior of all precast concrete tanks shall be sealed with ConSeal™ CS-55 or an equivalent moisture barrier sealant. The interior shall be light gray or white in color while the exterior may be any color.

3.All tanks shall be built in accordance with the commercial grease trap detail and provided with a concrete partition, sealed with Conseal CS55 or an equivalent moisture barrier sealant, so that the tank contains two compartments. The partition shall be located at a point not less than two-thirds the length of the tank from the inlet end.

B.Piping

1.All pipe and fittings used in conjunction with the tank shall be Type I Schedule 40 PVC meeting the requirements of ASTM D2665. Inlet and outlet pipes shall be sealed with a cast in place low-pressure pipe seal or equivalent neoprene gasket, flexible silicon adhesive or cement.

2.The piping shall match the commercial grease trap detail.

3.The standpipe located at the interior partition shall extend above the liquid level and one-half to two-thirds down into the liquid level (the gray water area of the tank contents).

C.Tank Access

1.Tank access openings shall be provided in the tank top for routine maintenance and inspection. Access openings shall be properly located over the inlet tee and outlet filter. Manhole frames and covers shall be manufactured from ductile iron in accordance with ISO 1083, rated at H20 loading capable of one-man operation using standard tools. Covers shall be designed and maintained to prevent water inflow.

2.If required access tubes or risers shall be high density polyethylene

(HDPE)pipe conforming to ASTM D1248 (Type III C, Category 5, P34)

or precast concrete sealed as specified in Paragraph 4.4.1.3 above.

480-40.02 Pre-engineered Grease Interceptors

A.Construction

1.Pre-engineered grease interceptors shall be of steel or fiberglass construction with a minimum 1,500-gallon capacity and in accordance with the manufacturer's standard fabrication procedures. Steel tanks shall be adequately protected against corrosion.

The interceptor shall be constructed to minimize turbulence, promote separation and settling and prevent re-suspension and scouring of collected materials Temporary backwater conditions will not cause trapped contaminants to be scoured from the unit. Each unit shall be comprised of two cells or chambers, providing integral baffling.

Wastewater shall enter below the normal liquid level and each unit shall be provided with an inlet and outlet cleanout, sample and ventilation ports together with an extension collar and frame and cover to allow access for removal of grease and solids. Each interceptor shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

480-40.03 Pre-Engineered Oil and Sand Separators

A.Construction

1.Pre-engineered oil and sand separators shall be of steel or fiberglass construction in accordance with the manufacturer's standard fabrication procedures. Steel tanks shall be adequately protected against corrosion.

Table or figure — shown as printedverify at source ↗

2.  The  separator    shall  be  constructed     to  minimize  turbulence,  promote

    separation   and  settling   and    prevent  re-suspension     and   scouring  of

    collected   materials    Temporary   backwater     conditions  will  not  cause

trapped contaminants to be scoured from the unit. Each unit shall be comprised of two cells or chambers, providing integral baffling.

Wastewater shall enter below the normal liquid level and each unit shall be provided with an inlet and outlet cleanout, sample and ventilation ports together with an extension collar and frame and cover to allow access for removal of oil and solids. Each separator shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.