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Darlington officials consider restaurant inspections after wastewater plant finds excess grease
Summary
Midwest Engineering and the town’s contracted operator reported excessive grease buildup at the wastewater treatment plant; council members said they will consider an ordinance requiring inspections of food-serving establishments and will pick a contractor at the Sept. 19 meeting.
Scott Siple of Midwest Engineering presented the council with a report on a recent tour of Darlington’s wastewater treatment plant and surrounding lift stations and submitted an estimate for service work. The council took the estimate under advisement and will select a company at its Sept. 19 meeting. The estimate itself was not approved at the Sept. 5 session.
Tom Astbury, director of Astbury Water Technology, Inc., told the council the plant and lift stations are “doing well” overall but that staff are finding an excessive amount of grease in the plant’s filter system. Astbury and Siple said the grease is affecting plant operations and suggested the town consider adopting an ordinance requiring inspection of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food to reduce grease entering the system.
Attorney Tyler Nichols updated the council that a separate Cummings inspection needed one signed paper to be completed; the inspection relates to a wastewater hook-up. The council did not adopt any new ordinance at the Sept. 5 meeting and no specific enforcement language or inspection schedule was presented. Council members directed staff to continue gathering information and bring updates to the Sept. 19 meeting, when the council will decide on service-provider estimates and can discuss ordinance language if needed.
The discussion identified the immediate next steps: the council will (1) choose among service proposals for work at the plant at the Sept. 19 meeting and (2) consider drafting an inspection ordinance aimed at limiting grease inflow from food-service establishments. The timeline for any ordinance, its inspection requirements, fees, or enforcement mechanisms was not specified in the minutes.
