New Castle County Department of Public Works

Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) Program for Commercial Food Establishments (county sewer)

New Castle County Code §38.02.701 defines a commercial food establishment ("CFE") as "any facility that prepares, packages, serves and/or provides foods or beverages for sale or consumption on or off site, including but not limited to restaurants, food courts, food manufacturers, food packagers, grocery stores, hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, churches, schools, and correctional facilities." Section 38.02.711(A)(1) states: "Each CFE is subject to and must comply with the standards and procedures set out in this Division and Article 3 of this Chapter". Each CFE must clean its grease trap or interceptor at the minimum frequency in the county's BMP Manual, with exterior traps and interceptors serviced by a grease hauler licensed by the State of Delaware; keep a maintenance log on the Department of Public Works form and keep service receipts, logs and maintenance records for at least three years; prominently display the date of the last cleaning; and post a sign near the sink reminding employees not to put fats, oil or grease down a drain. Under §38.02.711(B) each CFE pays an annual fee to cover the cost of the programme, billed as part of the sewer service charge on the third quarterly billing due October 1; the Department of Public Works (302-395-5734) gives the current amount. A CFE may be exempted from the fee if it is a 501(c) nonprofit or already holds a Wastewater Discharge Permit, and from the fee and the requirements if it prepares no food that contains or produces grease (§38.02.711(B)(2), (C)).