Enzymes, Bacteria and “Grease Digesters” Are Prohibited Here

The three rules

• Reno: “Biological treatment or enzyme treatment shall not be a substitute for the servicing of gravity interceptors or grease traps at the frequency required by the city. Use of enzymes or any other chemical or biological treatment or product that emulsifies or acts to emulsify FOG is prohibited” (RMC 12.16.555(b)(6)(ii)e).
• Sparks: “The introduction of emulsifiers, bacteria, enzymes or any other product into the grease trap or interceptor which would cause oil and grease to pass through the trap or interceptor is prohibited” (SMC 13.36.072).
• Washoe County: the same sentence, in Ordinance 1615 §11.7(B).

Why

An interceptor works by letting grease float and solids sink in still water. An additive breaks the grease cap into droplets that stay suspended and leave with the water. The tank looks cleaner; the grease is now downstream, re-congealing in the cooler lateral and the city main. All three jurisdictions cap grease in your discharge at 300 mg/L — an emulsified tank is the one that fails that limit, and Reno’s code also bars reintroducing pumped waste to the sewer by any route.

What works

Screens on every fixture (required in Reno), dry-wiping before the sink, used oil into the rendering drum, and a pump-out on the interval your permit sets or sooner when the 25% reading says so. Nothing in a bottle.