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COMMITTEE ON WATER AND SANITATION
(Standing Committee of Berkeley County Council)

Mr. Steve Hively, Director of Operations, Berkeley County Water and Sanitation (BCWS), stated that… At this time, BCWS is receiving in excess of 2 million gallons of FOG at the treatment plant at a rate of 12-1/2 cents per gallon. This rate barely offsets the added expense of disposal.

The company is offering the County 1 cent in excess of 6 million gallons. The property is leased to the company for $1 per year.

Committee Member Fish inquired as the other companies that collect the FOG. Mr. Hively responded there are no companies in the region that collect the FOG. BCWS is the only company in South Carolina that currently receives FOG. Other wastewater treatment facilities have outlawed the disposal of FOG because of the maintenance issues. This agreement would remove the FOG from the wastewater treatment facility and provides a legal alternative to disposal of the FOG.

Committee Member Farley stated that the company may collect FOG outside of the Charleston area. Will the County receive any funds from FOG transported from other areas?

Mr. Hively replied that no funds would be received from FOG that are contracted specifically out of the area. Currently, FOG is received from Florida to West Virginia. Some of the larger facilities will contract haulers to transport the FOG to Berkeley County.

Committee Member Fish inquired as to the definition of the Charleston market.

Mr. Hively responded that BCWS is the only wastewater treatment facility in the tricounty area that will accept FOG. There is no legislation to limit the FOG to the tri-county area.

Committee Member Fish stated the contract should not limit the FOG to the tri-county area. The market area has already been established from Florida to West Virginia.

Mr. Hively stated BCWS has been established as a discharge point for several long haulers.

Committee Member Fish stated the contract excludes any FOG outside of the Charleston area. The County is already receiving FOG outside that area and should be compensated.

Mr. Hively stated that any contracts are excluded that are created with any out- of- area haulers other than those already established. If Carolina Renewable Energy enters into a contract with other out of area haulers, then the County would not be compensated.

According to the number of restaurants in the tri-county area, BCWS should be getting 5 million gallons of FOG per year. The current volume is 2 million. The remaining FOG is being released into sewer lines by improperly maintained grease traps. The grease trap ordinances need to be enforced in the tri-county area. Instead of inspecting the thousands of grease traps in the area, the haulers could be certified. The haulers would then dispose of the FOG at this facility. A restaurant would have a contract with a hauler to pump the FOG on a routine basis and would not be subject to a monthly inspection. This would solve a tri-county problem of FOG in the sewer lines.

http://www.berkeleycountysc.gov/aandm/2009/091109_wsc_m.pdf