Grease & Scum Accumulation
Floating grease and scum build up on basin surfaces, clarifiers, and skimmer mechanisms.
Symptoms: visible floating grease mats, odor, skimmer mechanisms jamming or overflowing, potential contribution to foam problems.
Probable Causes: inadequate grease trap enforcement upstream, insufficient primary treatment/skimming capacity, or infrequent scum removal schedules.
Troubleshooting Steps: 1) Increase scum removal frequency and confirm skimmer mechanisms are functioning correctly. 2) Review and enforce industrial/commercial pretreatment grease trap requirements. 3) Inspect primary clarifier scum removal equipment for wear or misadjustment. 4) Track FOG loading trends — a rising trend usually points to a specific contributing source worth investigating.
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