Lift Station and Sewer Line Grease

It’s no secret where grease comes from that builds up in lift stations, wet wells, and sewer lines.  Who does not like to eat greasy food?   Whether it comes from cooking a steak or frying bacon and eggs, the grease has to go somewhere. Some of us collect it, some rinse it off.  Many restaurants have undersized grease traps and the scalding hot water just moves the grease down the line.  For many of us, getting a pump truck to suck the grease out of a lift station just isn’t practical.   As operators we need methods that are affordable and wonderfully effective.

Grease that was pushed into WWTP

Aquafix’s grease control products are great alternatives to Red Hot Sewer Solvent. Red Hot is an extremely dangerous granular or liquid hot solvent that uses caustic soda to heat up and melt grease. This proposes problems downstream as the grease will cool, solidify, and enter the wastewater treatment plant. We strongly recommend our products as safe alternatives.

7 Facts about Grease in Collection Systems and Sewer Lines

1. The harder and colder the water, the harder the grease will set up on the walls.
2. Generally animal fats are more difficult to break up than vegetable fats with the exception of coconut oils.
3. The thicker the grease is on the walls of a lift station, the more grease in the sewer lines, especially in hilly areas.
4. Grease coats the lines and creates anaerobic pockets for converting sulfate salts into hydrogen sulfide gas.  Sulfide causes rotten egg odors and sulfuric acid corrosion of sewer lines.
5. The less BOD in a sewer line, the less sulfide gas formation.
6. 1/2 inch of grease in an 8” line reduces your flow by 25%.   Then your pumping costs go up accordingly.
7. Grease causes 30% of sewage backups.

Lift Station Grease

Using Bioaugmentation to Treat Grease in Lift Stations, Sewer Lines, and Manholes

Many people treat grease with a municipal sewer compound or degreaser (usually an orange solvent).  These products only move the grease down the line.  The following products have been formulated and manufactured by Aquafix for optimal performance.  They have proven time and time again to be wonderful methods of biologically breaking down grease.

Wet Well Grease Removal

1. VitaStim Grease
This product will reduce grease, filaments, sludge production, and control foaming.

2. GreaseZilla Liquid
It softens and breaks up grease while lowering hydrogen sulfide.

3. Bug On A Rope
This is a slow-release product that is aggressive at degrading fat, oil and grease (F.O.G).

4. Qwik-Zyme L
This is a superior saliva-like product that will quickly catalyzes and breaks down grease, fats and lipids.

Industrial Contributors of Grease

Chicken plants
Meat processing plants
Bakeries
Food manufacturers – Cheese, Dairy, etc.

Grease removal from sewer lines