Article Summary
- Grease interceptors are large, in-ground FOG management systems designed for high-volume commercial kitchens — they operate differently from indoor grease traps and require specialized cleaning equipment and procedures.
- Because interceptors are buried underground and out of sight, they are frequently neglected far longer than indoor traps — creating significant compliance and plumbing risks that develop silently.
- East Chicago’s commercial building stock includes many aging concrete interceptors that are prone to structural deterioration, baffle failure, and capacity issues that require professional assessment alongside routine cleaning.
- Proper grease interceptor cleaning requires vacuum truck equipment, interior scraping, baffle inspection, and full waste documentation — a process that differs meaningfully from cleaning a small indoor trap.
- Grease interceptors are subject to local wastewater pretreatment requirements, IDEM oversight, and health department scrutiny — all of which require documented, professional service records.
- Tierra Environmental provides professional grease interceptor cleaning and pumping for East Chicago commercial kitchens with full compliance documentation and 24/7 emergency availability.
- By locking in programmatic maintenance intervals that completely clear out your infrastructure, you establish the operational consistency needed for scheduled grease trap pumping contracts for East Chicago food businesses to remain legally airtight and financially predictable.
Of all the equipment in a commercial kitchen that requires regular professional maintenance, the grease interceptor might be the easiest one to forget about. It sits underground, typically in a parking area or utility corridor outside the building. It doesn’t make noise when it’s struggling. It doesn’t flash a warning light or trigger an alarm when it’s nearing capacity. It just sits there, out of sight, collecting fats, oils, and grease from every sink, floor drain, and dishwasher in the kitchen — quietly doing its job until the day it quietly stops doing it.
For East Chicago commercial kitchen operators, that “quietly stops doing it” moment tends to arrive at the worst possible time and produce consequences that are far more disruptive than they would have been if the interceptor had been on a proper maintenance schedule.
This article is specifically about grease interceptors — the larger, in-ground FOG management systems used by full-service restaurants, fast food operations, institutional kitchens, and food manufacturers in East Chicago. It covers how interceptors work, how they differ from the smaller indoor grease traps that most people are more familiar with, what proper interceptor cleaning actually involves, and why the out-of-sight nature of this equipment makes professional maintenance more important, not less.
Grease Interceptors vs. Grease Traps: Understanding the Difference
The terms “grease trap” and “grease interceptor” are used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they describe two distinct types of equipment with meaningful differences in size, installation, application, and service requirements.
What a Grease Trap Is
A grease trap — also called a small grease interceptor or hydromechanical grease interceptor — is a compact device typically installed indoors, under or near kitchen sinks and dishwashing equipment. These units are made of stainless steel or plastic, hold anywhere from 25 to 100 gallons, and are designed for low-flow applications in smaller food service operations.
The physics of a grease trap are straightforward: wastewater flows in, slows down in the trap body, and the FOG — being less dense than water — floats to the top while food solids settle to the bottom. The clarified water in the middle exits through the outlet to the sewer. Because these units are small and located inside the kitchen, they fill quickly and require frequent cleaning — often every two to four weeks in a busy kitchen.
What a Grease Interceptor Is
A grease interceptor — also called a large capacity grease interceptor or gravity grease interceptor — is a significantly larger system, almost always installed underground outside the building. These units are made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene and range in capacity from a few hundred gallons to several thousand gallons, depending on the size of the kitchen they serve.
Grease interceptors are designed for high-flow applications — full-service restaurants, fast food operations, institutional cafeterias, and food manufacturers that generate more kitchen wastewater than an indoor trap can handle. They operate on the same gravity separation principle as smaller traps but at a scale that requires vacuum truck equipment for proper cleaning and pumping.
Because grease interceptors are larger and buried underground, they’re less visible and typically require less frequent service than indoor traps — but that lower frequency doesn’t mean less important. An interceptor that fails or overflows creates consequences on a scale that matches its size.
Why the Distinction Matters for East Chicago Commercial Kitchens
East Chicago’s diverse food service landscape includes both types of equipment. Smaller food operations — delis, coffee shops, limited-menu bars — often use indoor grease traps. Full-service restaurants, fast food locations on Indianapolis Boulevard and Chicago Avenue, institutional food service operations, and food manufacturing facilities typically use in-ground grease interceptors.
The maintenance approach, service equipment, service frequency, and compliance documentation are all shaped by which type of equipment your kitchen uses. Understanding which one you have is the starting point for understanding what your maintenance program should look like.
How Grease Interceptors Work: The Technical Foundation
A grease interceptor’s function is based on the physical property that fats and oils are less dense than water and will naturally rise to the surface of a still body of liquid. The interceptor’s design creates conditions that allow this separation to occur before wastewater exits to the sewer.
Basic Interceptor Design
A standard in-ground grease interceptor consists of one or more concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene chambers accessible through surface-level access covers. Kitchen wastewater enters through an inlet pipe at one end, passes through the interceptor body where flow is slowed to allow separation, and exits through an outlet pipe at the opposite end.
The inlet side typically has a baffle — an internal wall or pipe that directs incoming flow downward, preventing turbulence that would disrupt the separation process. The outlet side has an outlet baffle or tee that prevents the floating grease layer from exiting with the clarified water. Between these two baffles, in the relatively still water column, gravity separation occurs: grease rises, solids settle, and clarified water exits.
Two-Compartment Interceptors
Many commercial grease interceptors are built with two compartments separated by a partition wall with a flow-through opening. The first compartment handles the bulk of the separation — collecting the majority of FOG and settled solids. The second compartment provides a secondary separation stage, catching residual FOG before the clarified water exits to the sewer.
Two-compartment designs are more effective than single-compartment units at the same total volume because the separation process has two stages. They also distribute the accumulated waste load between compartments, which affects how cleaning is performed — both compartments need to be fully pumped and cleaned at each service visit.
Flow Rate and Sizing
Grease interceptors are sized based on the volume of kitchen wastewater they need to process. The sizing calculations account for the number of drainage fixture units connected to the interceptor, the drainage flow rates from those fixtures, and the desired retention time — the amount of time wastewater spends in the interceptor for separation to occur.
An interceptor that is undersized for its connected kitchen generates too much flow for effective separation and allows FOG to pass through to the sewer. An interceptor that is appropriately sized provides adequate retention time for the wastewater volume being processed.
For East Chicago commercial kitchens operating in older buildings, the grease interceptor may have been sized for a kitchen that was operating at lower volume than the current operation. Original sizing assumptions may no longer reflect the actual FOG load the interceptor is receiving, which affects both service frequency and compliance risk.
Why East Chicago’s Grease Interceptors Get Neglected
Understanding why interceptors are underserviced more often than indoor traps helps food business operators recognize the pattern and avoid it.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
An indoor grease trap is in the kitchen. When it produces odors, staff notice. When it’s approaching capacity, the drains slow down visibly. The trap is a physical presence in the workspace that generates feedback when it needs attention.
An in-ground interceptor is outside, underground, under a metal or concrete access cover that may be in a parking area, a utility corridor, or a side yard. Kitchen staff don’t walk past it during the workday. It produces no odors detectable inside the kitchen when it’s reaching capacity. Its access covers look the same whether the unit is freshly cleaned or overflowing inside.
The lack of sensory feedback from an underground interceptor means that maintenance reminders have to come from somewhere other than the equipment itself — a service contract schedule, a provider-managed maintenance calendar, or an operator who actively tracks service dates. Without those external prompts, service intervals slip.
Access Covers That Are Difficult to Find or Open
In some East Chicago commercial properties, the access covers for in-ground grease interceptors have been paved over, obscured by landscaping, buried under debris accumulation, or simply never identified to the current operator. New restaurant operators who take over existing locations sometimes don’t know where their interceptor is or whether one exists.
A grease interceptor that can’t be found can’t be serviced. If there’s any uncertainty about the location or existence of an interceptor at your East Chicago commercial property, a professional assessment should include identifying and exposing the access covers as part of the service.
Long Service Intervals Create False Comfort
Larger interceptors with greater capacity take longer to fill than indoor traps, which is one of the characteristics that makes them easy to deprioritize. A 1,500-gallon interceptor filling at a moderate rate may legitimately need service only quarterly. That relatively long interval — compared to an indoor trap that needs monthly or biweekly service — can create an impression that the interceptor requires minimal attention.
The risk is that quarterly-appropriate service for a moderate-volume kitchen becomes quarterly-default service for a kitchen that grew its volume significantly. The interval that was right three years ago may not be right today, and without data from actual service visits, that mismatch is invisible until a backup makes it obvious.
Changing Ownership Without Maintenance Transition
East Chicago’s commercial restaurant market sees regular ownership changes. When a restaurant changes hands, maintenance history and service schedules are not always transferred to the new operator. A new owner who doesn’t know when the interceptor was last serviced — and doesn’t make it a priority to find out — may operate for months or longer on a unit that was already overdue for service at the time of the transition.
This is one of the most common backstories for grease interceptor emergencies in East Chicago commercial kitchens. The problem didn’t develop under the current owner’s watch — but it’s the current owner’s problem to resolve.
Signs Your East Chicago Grease Interceptor Needs Service
Because interceptors provide less direct feedback than indoor traps, knowing what to look for is important for identifying service needs before they become emergencies.
Slow Drains Throughout the Kitchen
When a grease interceptor is significantly full, it affects flow dynamics throughout the kitchen’s drain system. Multiple fixtures draining slowly — not just one sink or one floor drain — is a pattern that often indicates the interceptor is past its service threshold. A single slow drain is typically a localized blockage issue. Widespread slow drains across the kitchen point to the interceptor.
Gurgling Sounds in Drain Lines
Gurgling or bubbling sounds in kitchen drain lines — particularly after running water through sinks or after the dishwasher cycles — indicate airflow problems in the drain system. An interceptor that is full or has a compromised outlet creates pressure dynamics that manifest as gurgling. This is an early warning sign that service is needed before drainage problems develop further.
Odors Detectable Near the Access Covers
While an interceptor typically doesn’t produce odors detectable inside the kitchen, the area immediately around the access covers may develop noticeable odors when the unit is near or at capacity. Hydrogen sulfide and other compounds produced by anaerobic decomposition of accumulated grease can escape through cover gaps or ventilation points. If you notice sewer-type odors near the exterior access cover location, service is overdue.
Water or Grease Seeping Around Access Covers
Visible moisture, grease residue, or liquid seeping around the edges of interceptor access covers is a clear sign of overflow or overpressure within the unit. At this stage, the interceptor is past capacity and potentially discharging FOG to the sewer system. This is an emergency service situation, not a schedule-it-for-next-week situation.
Longer-Than-Expected Intervals Since Last Service
If you know your interceptor was last serviced more than six months ago — or if you genuinely don’t know when it was last serviced — the safest assumption is that service is needed. The consequences of an overdue interceptor are significant enough that scheduling a service visit and finding a trap with room to spare is a far better outcome than waiting and discovering it was past capacity during a backup.
Failed Compliance Documentation
If your service records show a gap in interceptor maintenance — or if you don’t have service records at all — a health inspection or wastewater authority review could flag your operation for a documentation violation regardless of the actual condition of the unit. Getting the interceptor serviced and establishing current documentation addresses both the physical and the compliance dimension of the problem simultaneously.
What Professional Grease Interceptor Cleaning Actually Involves
Cleaning an in-ground grease interceptor is a materially different operation from cleaning a small indoor grease trap. It requires specialized equipment, specific procedures, and the same documentation standards that apply to any professional grease management service.
Access Cover Removal and Initial Assessment
The service begins with locating and opening the interceptor’s access covers. For two-compartment units, both access points are opened. The technician assesses the waste level in each compartment — the depth of the grease cap, the water column, and the settled solids layer — and documents the pre-service condition.
This assessment establishes what the service report will show as the “found” condition: how full the unit was, what the grease and solids distribution looked like across compartments, and whether anything unusual is visible — unusual odors suggesting specific waste characteristics, visible structural issues, or signs of improper materials entering the interceptor.
Full Vacuum Extraction of All Waste
Complete interceptor cleaning requires vacuum truck equipment capable of extracting the full contents of the unit. For a 1,500-gallon interceptor at 70% capacity, that’s over 1,000 gallons of grease, wastewater, and solids — a volume that portable pumping equipment cannot handle and that bucket-and-manual methods are entirely inadequate for.
The vacuum truck hose is lowered through the access opening and the contents are drawn out completely — grease cap first, then the water column, then the settled solids. For two-compartment units, both compartments are fully extracted.
Partial extraction — pulling only the grease layer while leaving water and solids — is not compliant service. Waste manifests are required to reflect the actual volume removed, and a partial pump-out producing a manifest that understates the waste volume is both inaccurate documentation and an indicator of incomplete service.
High-Pressure Interior Rinsing and Wall Cleaning
After extraction, the interior walls, floor, partition wall, baffles, and inlet/outlet pipes of the interceptor are cleaned. Vacuum truck equipment with high-pressure rinse capability forces water against interior surfaces, dislodging grease residue and allowing it to be vacuumed out along with the rinse water.
This step is what removes the layer of accumulated grease that bonds to concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene surfaces during operation. Without it, that residue begins reconstituting the next waste layer immediately after the service visit, effectively shortening the time before the unit needs service again.
For concrete interceptors — which are common in older East Chicago commercial properties — the porous surface of the concrete holds grease deposits more aggressively than smoother fiberglass or polyethylene. Interior cleaning of concrete units requires more thorough attention to wall surfaces to achieve an equivalent result.
Baffle and Component Inspection
Interceptor baffles — inlet tees or baffles and outlet tees or baffles — are the components that make the separation process work. When they fail, the interceptor continues to receive flow but stops providing effective FOG separation. Grease passes through to the sewer as if the interceptor weren’t there at all.
Professional interceptor service includes a visual inspection of both the inlet and outlet baffles in each compartment. Baffles are checked for structural integrity, correct positioning, and signs of deterioration. For concrete interceptors, the baffle mounting points are also checked — baffles that were originally cast into the concrete can pull loose as the concrete ages and shifts.
Any baffle issues identified during the service visit are documented in the service report with a recommendation for repair or replacement. This is the kind of proactive identification that prevents a compliance problem down the line — a failed baffle is not visible from outside the interceptor, and without an internal inspection during service visits, it can fail silently for months.
Structural Condition Assessment
In-ground grease interceptors are long-lived installations — some concrete units in East Chicago commercial properties have been in the ground for decades. As they age, they develop structural issues: cracks in the concrete, joint separations, inlet or outlet pipe degradation, and cover frame deterioration.
A professional service visit includes observation of structural conditions while the interceptor is open and empty — the only time structural issues are visible. Cracks that allow groundwater infiltration, separated joints that allow FOG to escape into the surrounding soil, and deteriorated outlet connections that compromise the unit’s seal with the sewer line are all conditions that, if identified and documented during a service visit, can be addressed before they become significant remediation problems.
Waste Manifest and Legal Disposal
All material extracted from a grease interceptor — grease, wastewater, and solids combined — is regulated waste in Indiana. Every pump-out generates a waste manifest documenting the volume extracted, the licensed hauler’s information, and the approved disposal facility. This manifest is required documentation for your compliance record.
Professional interceptor service never involves disposal of extracted waste to an unauthorized location. The volume of waste involved in a large interceptor pump-out makes improper disposal a significant environmental liability — and the paper trail is clear. Reputable service providers generate waste manifests for every job without exception.
Complete Service Report Before Departure
Before leaving the site, the technician provides a written service report documenting the pre-service condition of both compartments, the total volume extracted, the condition of baffles and other components, any structural observations, and a recommendation for the timing of the next service. This report is the primary compliance document from the service visit, alongside the waste manifest.
For East Chicago operations that have had difficulty maintaining consistent service records, starting fresh with a professional provider who delivers thorough documentation at every visit is the fastest path to a compliance record that holds up under scrutiny.
Sizing and Capacity Considerations for East Chicago Commercial Kitchens
The grease interceptor installed in your East Chicago commercial kitchen may or may not be appropriately sized for your current operation. This is worth examining — particularly if the kitchen has changed hands, expanded its menu, added cooking equipment, or grown its volume since the interceptor was originally installed.
How Interceptor Sizing Is Determined
Grease interceptor sizing is governed by plumbing codes and standards, including guidelines from the Plumbing and Drainage Institute (PDI) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The basic sizing calculation starts with the flow rate of the fixtures connected to the interceptor — the gallons per minute that the combined sinks, dishwashers, and floor drains can discharge at peak use.
The interceptor needs to provide enough retention time — typically a minimum of two minutes of contact time at peak flow — for gravity separation to occur effectively. A unit that is too small for its connected flow rate doesn’t provide adequate retention time, which means FOG passes through to the sewer even when the unit is freshly cleaned.
Signs of an Undersized Interceptor
An interceptor that reaches service-threshold fill rates faster than expected for its stated capacity — particularly if the service interval was appropriate when the kitchen was smaller or lower-volume — may be undersized. Consistent FOG discharge to the sewer detected by the wastewater authority, despite regular interceptor maintenance, is another indicator.
A professional assessment can evaluate whether your interceptor’s capacity is appropriate for your kitchen’s current flow rates and recommend whether an upgrade is warranted.
Concrete Interceptor Effective Capacity Reduction
For older concrete interceptors in East Chicago commercial properties, effective capacity can be reduced over time by accumulated deposits on interior surfaces that aren’t fully removed by routine service. Years of grease buildup baked into concrete walls, floors, and baffles effectively reduces the internal volume of the unit even after a standard pump-out.
A thorough professional cleaning with high-pressure interior rinsing addresses some of this accumulation — but very old concrete units with decades of buildup may have reduced effective capacity that can’t be fully restored through cleaning alone. In those cases, replacement with a new, appropriately sized unit may be the long-term solution.
Grease Interceptor Regulations and Compliance in East Chicago
Grease interceptors in East Chicago commercial kitchens are subject to the same regulatory framework as other grease management equipment — with some additional layers relevant to the larger scale of interceptor systems.
IDEM Pretreatment Requirements
Indiana’s pretreatment program, administered by IDEM, governs FOG discharge from commercial kitchens into the public sewer system. Commercial kitchens generating significant FOG output may be classified as significant industrial users under Indiana’s pretreatment rules, with associated reporting, monitoring, and documentation requirements.
For large food service operations and food manufacturers using high-capacity interceptors, IDEM compliance requirements may include periodic self-monitoring reports, grease interceptor inspection records, and documentation of waste disposal practices. Working with a licensed service provider familiar with Indiana’s pretreatment program ensures that the documentation produced at each service visit meets these requirements.
Local Wastewater Authority FOG Ordinances
East Chicago’s local wastewater authority enforces FOG ordinances that govern interceptor installation, maintenance frequency, and waste documentation for connected commercial kitchens. These ordinances specify what type of equipment is required, what cleaning frequency is expected, and what records must be maintained and made available for inspection.
Compliance with local FOG ordinances isn’t automatic — it requires active maintenance and documentation management. Food business operators who haven’t reviewed the specific requirements applicable to their East Chicago location should confirm current requirements with the local wastewater authority or with a professional service provider familiar with local enforcement practices.
Health Department Inspection Considerations
While health inspectors focus primarily on food safety, grease interceptor condition and maintenance records are part of the broader plumbing and sanitation review during a commercial kitchen inspection. An interceptor that is overdue for service — or one whose maintenance records have significant gaps — can generate inspection findings that require corrective action.
Health inspectors typically cannot access an in-ground interceptor directly during a routine inspection, but they can and do review maintenance records, ask about service frequency, and observe the drainage performance of connected fixtures. Consistently slow drains during an inspection prompt questions about the grease management system’s condition.
Grease Interceptor Issues Specific to East Chicago Commercial Properties
Aging Concrete Interceptors
A significant portion of East Chicago’s older commercial buildings were equipped with concrete grease interceptors at original construction. Many of these units predate current sizing standards, were installed when kitchen volumes were lower, and have been in the ground long enough to develop the structural issues that concrete develops over decades of use.
Concrete interceptors that show cracking, joint separation, or significant interior wall deterioration may be at the end of their useful service life. Professional assessment of the unit’s condition during cleaning visits can identify when a concrete interceptor has deteriorated to the point where replacement — with a modern fiberglass or polyethylene unit sized for current kitchen volumes — is the appropriate path forward.
Interceptors in Difficult-to-Access Locations
Commercial property development in East Chicago has sometimes resulted in interceptors being installed in locations that create access challenges — under paved parking areas that have been resurfaced multiple times, near building foundations where vehicle access is limited, or in utility corridors that have been partially obstructed by equipment or storage.
Professional interceptor service providers with vacuum truck equipment can typically work around access limitations that would prevent other service approaches — but severe access problems may require property management coordination to clear obstructions before service can proceed.
Combined Interceptors Serving Multiple Tenants
Some East Chicago commercial buildings with multiple food service tenants share a single grease interceptor. In these situations, the FOG load on the interceptor reflects the combined output of all connected kitchens, and the service schedule needs to account for total system load — not just one tenant’s output.
Responsibility for shared interceptor maintenance is often ambiguous in multi-tenant commercial leases. Food service operators in shared-interceptor situations should clarify their maintenance obligations with the building owner and confirm that the service schedule reflects the total connected kitchen volume — not just the primary tenant’s usage.
Questions East Chicago Commercial Kitchen Operators Ask About Grease Interceptor Cleaning
How is cleaning a grease interceptor different from cleaning a small grease trap?
The core process is similar — extraction of accumulated waste, interior cleaning, component inspection, and documentation — but the scale and equipment requirements are fundamentally different. Cleaning an in-ground interceptor requires vacuum truck equipment capable of handling hundreds or thousands of gallons of material. The interior cleaning of a large concrete or fiberglass chamber is more involved than cleaning a compact indoor trap. The service also takes longer and requires vehicle access to the interceptor site. The documentation requirements are the same, but the waste volumes reflected in the manifest are significantly larger.
How do I know what size grease interceptor I have?
The size is typically marked on the interceptor body, cast into a concrete lid, or recorded in the original building permit documentation. If you’re uncertain about your interceptor’s size and capacity, a professional service provider can assess it during a service visit. Knowing your interceptor’s capacity is useful for understanding service frequency requirements and evaluating whether the unit is appropriately sized for your current operation.
What happens if I find a crack in my concrete interceptor?
Cracks in concrete interceptors allow groundwater to infiltrate during high water table periods, which dilutes the interceptor contents and may affect separation efficiency. More significantly, cracks allow grease-laden water to escape into the surrounding soil, which is an environmental violation in Indiana. Cracked concrete interceptors should be professionally assessed to determine whether sealing, lining, or replacement is the appropriate response. Minor surface cracks may be repairable; significant structural cracks affecting the unit’s integrity typically indicate the need for replacement.
My interceptor has never been serviced since I bought this restaurant. What should I do?
Schedule a professional service visit immediately. A grease interceptor that has been in operation for an unknown period without documented service is a compliance risk regardless of whether it’s showing symptoms. The service visit will establish the current condition, document it with a waste manifest and service report, and give you a professional recommendation for service frequency going forward. Starting that record now is better than waiting for a backup or an inspection finding to force the issue.
Can I use biological or enzymatic treatments in a grease interceptor?
Some operators use biological or enzymatic treatments to supplement professional interceptor service — the theory being that microorganisms or enzymes introduced into the system break down accumulated grease between service visits. These treatments can have some effect on reducing accumulation rates in drain lines, but they don’t replace professional interceptor cleaning and should not be used to justify extending service intervals beyond what the interceptor’s actual fill rate supports. Check with your service provider and the local wastewater authority before using these products, as some formulations can affect interceptor performance or raise concerns under local pretreatment programs.
Does my interceptor need to be inspected separately from being cleaned?
Inspection is part of professional cleaning service — every pump-out should include visual assessment of baffles, structural condition, and component integrity while the unit is empty and accessible. Some wastewater authorities also conduct their own periodic inspections of commercial grease interceptors as part of FOG program enforcement. These regulatory inspections are separate from your service provider’s maintenance inspections and may happen with or without advance notice.
Get Professional Grease Interceptor Cleaning from Tierra Environmental
Tierra Environmental has provided professional grease interceptor cleaning and pumping services to East Chicago and Northwest Indiana commercial kitchens since 2000. Our team is based at 3821 Indianapolis Blvd in East Chicago — we know the area’s commercial properties, the types of interceptor equipment common in this region, and what proper interceptor service looks like from initial assessment through final documentation.
Every interceptor service we perform includes complete vacuum truck extraction of all waste from every compartment, high-pressure interior rinsing and wall cleaning, full baffle and component inspection, structural condition observation, waste manifest documenting legal disposal, and a written service report with pre-service condition, volumes removed, findings, and next service recommendations. We work on concrete, fiberglass, and polyethylene units of all sizes — from small single-compartment interceptors to large multi-compartment systems serving high-volume commercial operations.
We’re equipped for difficult access situations, familiar with the aging concrete interceptors common in East Chicago’s older commercial stock, and experienced with the documentation standards that Indiana’s pretreatment program and local FOG ordinances require. Our 24/7 availability covers interceptor emergencies as well as scheduled service — when an interceptor problem surfaces at a difficult time, we’re reachable and ready to respond.
Call or text Tierra Environmental at 219-398-4000 to schedule grease interceptor cleaning, get an assessment of your current interceptor’s condition, or ask about service contract options for your East Chicago commercial kitchen. You can also reach us through the contact form at tierra-environmental.com.
Underground and out of sight doesn’t mean out of compliance. Let’s keep yours in good shape.