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Village staff propose semiannual grease‑trap proofing to prevent sewer blockages
Summary
Assistant Village Manager Ashley Monroe told trustees the village experiences occasional sewer blockages tied to grease and proposed requiring new or existing businesses with grease traps to provide proof of professional cleaning before license issuance and twice yearly thereafter; trustees asked staff to draft an ordinance.
Riverside, Ill. — Assistant Village Manager Ashley Monroe asked the Village of Riverside Board of Trustees on April 3 to approve a light regulatory approach requiring commercial operators with grease traps to document regular professional servicing to reduce sewer blockages.
Monroe said village public‑works staff occasionally respond to sewer backups and that poorly serviced grease traps at restaurants or similar facilities can cause blockages. She proposed that new operators provide proof that a grease trap has been professionally cleaned before issuance of a business license and that existing grease‑trap operators provide proof of cleaning twice a year (once at business license renewal and once midyear). "They would essentially provide us proof of before a new restaurant or operator of a grease trap that has been professionally cleaned, before the business license for that new space is is issued," Monroe said.
Monroe said most restaurant operators she contacted are already servicing traps or can provide receipts and that the intent is to protect public infrastructure without imposing onerous costs. Trustees generally supported the approach and asked staff to draft ordinance language; one trustee responded, "Give us an ordinance," during the discussion.
Ending: Staff will prepare ordinance language and return to the board; trustees expressed broad support for a light regulatory regime focused on preventing sewer backups.
