Background to the survey

UK water companies are under ever-increasing pressure to keep UK waterways clean and clear. And to this end UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) is leading a new project called “FOG Charging - Should Food Service Wastewater Charges Reflect FOG Content?”, looking at developing a risk-based charging system for Food Service Establishments (FSEs) based on the fats, oils, grease (FOG), and food waste in their wastewater discharges.

The project aims to reduce FOG discharges by treating commercial kitchen waste as trade effluent or by implementing a variable, risk-based tariff that lowers charges for FSEs with effective grease management. UKWIR is engaging with a range of key stakeholders from across the water sector, including water utilities, regulators, trade associations, independent organisations, and academics, to explore the opportunities, barriers, and challenges in developing and implementing these charging mechanisms for FSEs.

The FEA is contributing to this consultation by asking its members to provide their views by completing the following survey by 27th November 2024.

The review and analysis of the outputs of this survey will be used to determine a range of food service establishment tariff options giving an outline to the benefits, barriers and considerations of each approach to outline how it is best placed in the UK sector.

There are numerous potential approaches for charging FSEs for the discharge of FOG rich wastewater, ranging in complexity and the level of management required. Three different approaches are presented below, to give an indication of the types of approaches that could be utilised and to provide an opportunity to discuss different elements of any charging mechanism.
  1. Discharge permit for each FSE and requirement to install and maintain interceptor/trap, consisting of an Application fee plus an Annual inspection fee.
  2. Discharge permit for each FSE and requirement to install and maintain interceptor/trap PLUS meet a discharge limit of 100mg/l grease and oil (maximum allowable concentration), consisting of an application fee plus an Annual inspection fee with a penalty for exceeding discharge level.
  3. Tiered charging mechanism using a risk-based approach with FSEs categorised according to equipment used and size, consisting of a fixed rate charge per category, plus charge per m3 discharged, with a reduction if an interceptor / trap is installed and maintained, plus annual inspection fee.
Page1 / 3
 
 33% of survey complete.

T