Committee Information

Meetings

Upcoming  Actions:

We meet three times a year, usually during the months of February, June, and October, from 10-Noon. Locations will vary to try and accommodate as many members as possible.

The next meeting will be a little different. We will be meeting during the APWA 2019 Spring Conference in Tacoma, April 23-25. We are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 24th, at 4:15 in room 318. More information about the Spring Conference can be found under Events on the APWA website.

If you would like to present or host one of our future meetings, please contact Julie Dufresne for more information.

Past Meetings

2018

• 10/24/18 @ Kitsap County Public Works Annex, Bremerton
  • Presentation by Lauren Huey, SwiftComply FOG Management Software
  • Presentation by Ed North, OnlineRME, Pumper Management Software
  • Open Discussion on FOG Codes and Enforcement
• 07/11/18 @ LOTT Clean Water Alliance, Olympia
  • Presentation by Jerry Ruthruff, Advance Technology Solutions - GREASEwatch Monitoring System
  • Open Discussion
• 02/21/18 @ LOTT Clean Water Alliance, Olympia
  • Presentation by Dave Brandsen, Anterior Quest, 616-437-2154
    • Hg Containment Series
    • Power Point Presentation: Anterior Quest Presentation
    • Anterior Quest Website: Anterior Quest

2017

• 11/30/2017 @ Oldcastle Precast, 2808 A Street SE, Auburn WA 98002
• Presentation by Oldcastle Precast
• Facility Tour
• 10/11/17 @ Center for Urban Waters, 326 East D Street, Tacoma
  • Minutes 10-11-17
• 07/19/17 @ Trenchless Pipe Repairs, 13701 24th St E STE F-10, Sumner
  • Presentations by Vortex Infrastructures:
  • Trenchless Pipe Repairs
  • WinCan, 300 Cedar Ridge DR STE 308, Pittsburgh PA 15205
  • Quadex Lining Systems9155 Wallisville Road, Houston, TX 77029
  • Staf Technologies, 3791 S 300 W. South, Salt Lake, UT 84115
• 02/22/17 @ LOTT Clean Water Alliance, 500 Adams St NE, Olympia
  • Presentation by OnlineRME LLC, 814 Airway Avenue,  Sutherlin, OR 97479
  • Minutes: Feb 22, 2017 Minutes

2016

• 11/09/16 @ King County South Treatment Plant, 1200 Monster Rd SW
  • Presentation by Johnson Industries, 1015 S Myrtle St, Seattle
  • Big Dipper & Trapzilla demonstrations
• 08/16/16 @ Center for Urban Waters, 326 East D street, Tacoma
  • Presentation by:
  • Endura Interceptors demonstration
  • Schier Interceptors demonstration
• 05/01/16 @ Pierce County PW, 9850 64th Street W, University Place
  • Presentation by Andrew Perez
  • Asset Management & TV inspection Program w/ field demo
• 02/10/16 @ LOTT Clean Water Alliance
  • Presentations by:
  • LOTT - LOTT's developing FOG Program
  • Western States Alliance & FOG Scout Program
  • Minutes: Feb 10, 2016 Meeting Minutes

News Bulletins

Do Not Flush Public Service Alerts!

Let's give Florida kudos for their great video on what shouldn't be flushed, and what happens when you do. This one is worth checking out:

Invasion of the Fatbergs!

Wipes!

See the Outreach/Education/Articles section below for hot off the press news on wipes!

• Wet wipes found on British beaches up more than 50% in 2014 (The Guardian)
• The Wet Wipes Box Says Flush, but the New York City Sewer System Says Don’t (New York Times)
• I Don't Flush - Canad
• This is what "flushable" wipes do to the sewers (Canada.com)
• Canadian utilities blame flushable wipes for clogging pipes (National Post
• NACWA's Non-Dispersables page (has links to fantastic videos and resources
• Federal Trade Commission's gDiapers information page
• JWC Environmental's Wipes Page (updates about wipes)

In-Sewer Test for Wipes

Frank Dick (City of Vancouver) and Rob Villee (Plainfield Area Regional Sewerage, New Jersey) tested out several "flushable" wipes. Contact Frank Dick if you're interested in reading about his findings, Frank.Dick@cityofvancouver.us.

Have You Seen Me? 

Flushable wipes mailed to residents: is anyone else seeing these free wipes being sent out in the mail? Yikes... and the packaging specifically says “FLUSHABLE.” If anyone has had these sent out in their service areas, please let Frank Dick know! Frank.Dick@cityofvancouver.us

Links and Resources

FOG 101: Basics of Fats, Oils, and Grease Management

Opportunities and Challenges in 21st Century Fats, Oils, and Grease Management

FOG One Year Notice Letter

FOG Agreement

If it’s a Grease Interceptor then why not size by grease production?

Clear the FOG

Grease Interception in the Plumbing Code

A Guide to Restaurant Grease Management, A Regulator’s Desk Reference 

Plumbing & Drainage Institute

Grease Trap

Washington Wastewater Collection Personnel Association Study Resources

Preferred Pumper Program

Outreach/Education/Articles

• Sniffing out utility “fatbergs” - grime fighting bloodhound set to work in England (WaterWorld)
• Grease becomes a hot commodity (Seattle Times) 
• Oslo’s bright pink manhole covers remind its citizens what, exactly, can be flushed down a toilet (Grist)
• How grease and fat from sewers can fuel your home (BBC News)
• Xylem Flygt N Pump brochure's infographics on where rags accumulate
• Roto-Rooter's Sewer Line Clog Solutions (video)
• Household Wipes Clogging Up Sewers, Cost Taxpayers Millions (CBS New York)
• Surprising Problem Clogging Denver's Sewer System (video)
• Cease the Grease (North Central Texas Council of Governments, video)
• Grease Trap Regulation (Metro Vancouver, includes video)
• What's Clogging Your Drains? (City of Everett, multilingual brochure)
• Do Garbage Disposals Help Gum Up Seattle's Sewers? (Seattle PI)
• Below the Waste Line: Inside London's Sewer System (The Guardian)
• Singing Sewermen (Thames Water)
• Restaurants' Used Grease a Hot Item for Thieves (USA TODAY)
• Walls of Fat Clog London Sewers (National Geographic Daily News)
• Sewer Diver in Mexico City, World's Worst Job? (originally via National Geographic Daily News, video)
• Biofuel Webinars & Materials (EPA)

Resource Materials

• 2011 Alderwood Water & Wastewater District Revised Resolution for Pretreatment 

• Fight F.O.G. Residents Brochure (Seattle Public Utilities)
• Fight F.O.G. Business Brochure (Seattle Public Utilities)

• CARS Brochure
• Folsom II Program

Sample Job Descriptions

• Pretreatment Technician (City of Edmonds)
• Pretreatment Inspector (Alderwood Water District)
• Source Control Technician  (City of Redmond)