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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Snow expected on passes Sunday and Monday, possibly on valley floor ... Fire took home from mom and her boys ... New bridge would connect east, west Nevada Street in Ashland ... Snow expected on passes Sunday and Monday, possibly on valley floor ... Fire took home from mom and her boys ... New bridge would connect east, west Nevada Street in Ashland ... Medford seeks grease relief Fine prompts city to clean up clogged sewer pipes Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 4:51 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 4:51 PM » Social News Grease from commercial kitchens and restaurants have been clogging Medford’s sewer pipes and have hampered operations at the regional water treatment plant. Medford City Council voted Wednesday to initiate a three-step process to prevent commercial kitchens from discharging too much grease. “We do need to make sure we keep this stuff out of our sanitary sewer system,” Councilor Dick Gordon said. The city is responding to a $10,000 fine from the Oregon State Building Codes Division, but half the fine will be waived if the city takes action to reduce grease from clogging lines or from flowing into the regional treatment plant. Other cities in the valley will have to take similar steps. Cory Crebbin, Public Works director, said the new ordinance will require commercial kitchens to take one of three steps to address grease problems. Kitchens could take a sample of wastewater that is being discharged to see whether they’re producing high concentrations of grease. Another step would be to install grease traps, or to make sure a grease trap is working effectively. A third option is for commercial kitchens to pay a surcharge on wastewater to reimburse the treatment plant and to pay to help remove grease from pipes. Crebbin said the city often sends remote cameras into pipes to see how badly they are clogged, noting that they sometimes find material that resembles “playdough.” The danger with clogged pipes is that the wastewater can back up and pour out through manhole covers or into neighboring businesses or homes, Crebbin said. That hasn’t happened yet in the city, Crebbin said, though he said city crews have found pipes that were so plugged that they could have potentially caused a problem. Another issue is that too much grease in the system hampers the digesters at the treatment plant that break down the wastewater as part of the purification process, he said. Crebbin said he didn’t have any idea how many commercial kitchens were located in the city, but said it could be more than 1,000, which includes restaurants, hotels, nursing homes and other facilities. He said the city would likely deal with the problem on a case-by-case basis. “I’m not saying we won’t go after everybody,” he said. “That’s not my immediate intent.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 4:51 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501