FOG Program History

The Town Of Mooresville was issued a Wastewater Collection System Permit [WQCS00043] by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, dated November 12, 2002. This permit required the Town of Mooresville to develop and maintain an educational and enforcement program by October 31, 2003, and implement this program by October 31, 2004.

Section I. (4) of the Collection Permit states;
The Permittee shall maintain an educational and enforcement program that requires the proper operation and maintenance of all grease traps and septic tanks connected to the wastewater collection system. The educational program should target both residential and commercial users.

The Town Of Mooresville wishing to comply with all State and Federal guidelines thus created a fats, oils, and grease (FOG) program for monitoring and controlling FOG discharge within our collection system. The overall goal of this program is to prevent the excessive introduction of FOG into the sanitary sewer system and to prevent it from reaching our wastewater treatment plant.

Excessive buildup of FOG at critical areas of the sanitary sewer lines increases the potential to create sewer blockages. A sanitary sewer blockage can result in a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), which could reach the surface waters of North Carolina. Blockages may also cause wastewater to back up into homes, businesses, or streets and can result in extensive property or environmental damage. The Town of Mooresville is required to track and report the cause and environmental impact of an SSO to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Our goal is to limit sewer blockages and prevent any sanitary sewer overflows.

The FOG program requires all FOG producing establishments discharging wastewater into the Town of Mooresville’s sanitary sewer system to install and maintain a grease trap or grease interceptor. All grease trap and grease interceptors shall be maintained for continuous, satisfactory and effective operation by the owner, leaseholder or operator at his expense.

This program is designed to outline, implement and enforce FOG discharge rules and to have an educational program for both residential and commercial users. The intent of this program is to ensure compliance with the Town of Mooresville’s Sewer Use Ordinance; ensure compliance with the rules and regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ensure compliance with Town of Mooresville Wastewater Collection System Permit Number WQCS00043; and to protect the Town’s infrastructure as it relates to the sanitary sewer collection and treatment system.