Commercial Grease Trap: BOD/TSS Cut 90%+ and Pumping Costs from $1,029 to $20

Results at a glance

Metric	Before	After
BOD	2,328 mg/L	Below 200 mg/L (91% lower)
TSS	2,660 mg/L	Below 230 mg/L (91% lower)
Pumping cost per service	$1,029	~$20
Pumping frequency	Frequent	Sharply reduced
Odor	Persistent	Minimized

The problem

A commercial grease trap servicing a high-load food preparation facility was experiencing excessive accumulation of fats, oils, grease, and suspended solids. Elevated BOD and TSS levels were driving frequent pumping events, high disposal costs, persistent odors, and unstable system performance, with conventional maintenance schedules no longer effective at keeping pace with the FOG load. The operator needed a biological grease trap treatment program capable of digesting accumulated FOG at the source, lowering BOD and TSS, and reducing pumping frequency without disrupting kitchen operations. The trial evaluated whether Grease Treat (GT), a high-CFU FOG-digesting bacteria blend, could simultaneously cut organic loading, suspended solids, and pumping costs across a continuously loaded commercial grease trap.

Before, during, and after

Before
Prior to biological treatment, the grease trap showed severe organic and solids loading from the food preparation operation upstream. BOD measured 2,328 mg/L and TSS reached 2,660 mg/L, indicating poor grease breakdown and heavy sludge accumulation across the system. Pumping costs averaged approximately $1,029 per service event, driven by rapid solids buildup and the need for frequent cleanouts that could not keep up with FOG accumulation under conventional maintenance alone.

After
Following implementation of Grease Treat (GT) biological grease trap treatment, the system demonstrated sustained and progressive improvement across both organic and solids metrics. BOD levels were reduced from 2,328 to below 200 mg/L, a 91% reduction, and TSS fell from 2,660 to below 230 mg/L, a 91% reduction, reflecting effective biological digestion of fats, oils, grease, and suspended solids at the source. As solids accumulation declined, pumping frequency dropped dramatically and pumping costs fell from approximately $1,029 per service event to about $20, eliminating the largest line item in grease trap maintenance. The grease trap stabilized operationally, odors were minimized, and long-term maintenance costs were significantly lowered. For commercial kitchens, food service operators, and facility managers running high-load grease traps, this case demonstrates what high-CFU FOG-digesting bacteria can deliver on BOD reduction, TSS reduction, and pumping cost elimination under real foodservice operating conditions.

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Product used in this trial

Grease Treat (GT)

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