Fourteen eateries have been fined for not having a grease trap or not regularly cleaning it, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday.
According to the statement, the bureau beefed up inspections of restaurants’ grease trap conditions after Typhoon Higos hit the city last month as part of the bureau’s effort to keep sewer pipes clean and clear.
The statement said that besides carrying out dredging in flood-prone areas, the bureau also made sure that restaurants’ grease traps are not clogging the drains that could affect the drainage system.
During the inspections on August 20 to 26, the bureau inspected 90 eateries, among which 14 were fined for not having a proper grease trap or not regularly cleaning it.
In addition, the bureau said they have issued 33 notices demanding that the eateries make improvements.
The statement said that when IAM workers cleaned the drainage system, they found that grease solids were blocking the drainage pipes and the conditions of restaurants’ grease traps, or the lack of a proper grease trap, was the root of the problem.
The bureau said it would continue with the inspections, and would shorten the period in which people need to pay the fine and also shorten the time it takes to process the penalty for a stronger deterrent effect.
According to the statement, offenders of the regulation are subject to a fine of 2,500 patacas to 35,000 patacas.
The statement also urged the public not to throw rubbish and pour grease into gutters that will block the drainage system and cause flooding as a result.
These photos provided by IAM yesterday show grease traps that have not been regularly cleaned.
