By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

REPRESENTATIVES from the Guam Waterworks Authority attended yesterday’s general membership meeting of the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association to brief the members on the need to protect the island’s wastewater system.
Julie Shane, GWA wastewater division chief engineer, discussed the dangers of letting fats, oil, and grease accumulate in the island’s wastewater system.
GWA has long urged businesses to put grease traps to ensure that the island’s water supply is not contaminated with fats, oils, and grease dumped by commercial establishments.
Under Guam law, sewer services for commercial establishments with restaurant or food processing facilities must install grease traps prior to discharging into the public sewer system.
GWA warned that establishments without effective grease traps are subject to termination by GWA of water and sewer services.
But Shane said this is for the customers’ own benefit too as back-ups caused by grease cost rate payers around $40,000 a month.
According to a brochure distributed by GWA during the GHRA meeting, the usual small grease traps placed under sinks are not effective and generally allow more grease to enter the sewer.
Businesses that have this type of grease traps must have the grease pumped out weekly while a larger trap is installed.
For businesses that have a big tank-type trap in the kitchen, they have to clean the trap every time it is 25 percent full and for an interior trap, the cleaning needs to be done once a week.
In 2005 alone, GWA spent over $100,000 to unclog the water system of the unwanted grease.
“We could have used this money for other vital projects needed to improve the island’s water and wastewater system,” GWA public information officer Heidi Ballendorf said.
According to GWA, maintaining an “effective” grease trap means having a regular grease trap “pump-out” conducted by a reputable pumping company that will dispose of the grease properly.