NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 16, 1999

CARY LOOKS FOR GREASE RELIEF THROUGH EDUCATION, ENFORCEMENT

CARY, NC – The Town of Cary is stepping up environmental protection efforts by trying to keep fats, oils and greases from going down Cary drains. The Town of Cary’s Public Works & Utilities Department is launching its comprehensive grease and oils control program to reduce frequency and severity of sanitary sewer overflows as a consequence of excessive grease accumulation in Town maintained sanitary sewer collection systems.

The program has two primary components: (1) educating the more than 340 Cary restaurants and other businesses which prepare or serve hot foods or prepare cold foods using dressings or other condiments; and (2) enforcing new pretreatment rules and exacting penalties when the rules are not followed. These rules include a requirement for the installation of grease holding tanks at those affected businesses and fines of $1,000 when a wastewater discharge results in the failure of the Town’s sewer system.

When fats, greases and oils are dumped down drains, they end up in the Town’s sewer system and eventually clog it up. These clogs result in increased maintenance by the Town, and sometimes the grease makes it way to pump stations in the system before it coagulates. When this happens, pumps and alarms can fail and overflows can result.

To this end, the Cary’s Public Works & Utilities Department will host an information open house about its new sanitary sewer grease program on February 19th from 12:30 - 4:00 PM in the Cary Community Center. Representatives from numerous agencies will be on hand to answer questions and provide practical information about complying with the Town’s new Sewer Use Ordinance. Participants in the event include:

• Wake County land application, environmental services, and environmental emergency response/inspections staff;
• NC Division of Water Quality Enforcement and Non-discharge sections as well as members of the Raleigh Regional Office water quality staff
• Town of Cary Inspections Division plumbing inspectors
• Private equipment suppliers
• Private service providers

Even though Cary is recognized statewide as one of the most progressive and diligent managers of municipal wastewater, the Town spent over $200,000 dealing with grease-related sewer issues in 1998.

"This project is very important," said Leon Holt, Cary’s Pretreatment Inspector and program coordinator. "If we can keep grease and oils out of our sewer system, we will save hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and do a much better job of protecting our environment."

Citizens with questions or who desire more information should call 469-4090 during regular office hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), or visit our "Grease Relief" website anytime at www.townofcary.org.

###

PRIMARY CONTACTS: Leon Holt, Pretreatment Inspector, 462-3871

Rob Bonne, Utilities Director, 469-4303

Bill Coleman, Town Manager, 469-4002

Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, 460-4951