Town ‘greases the skids’ for restaurant compliance
by Kathleen Stinson

CAVE CREEK – The problem with the amount of grease discharged from Cave Creek restaurants is abating, according to Wayne Anderson, town engineer.

Anderson said although he cannot say exactly how many restaurants are in compliance with municipal limits right now, the town’s wastewater plant operator has told him  “things are better than they have been.”

Cave Creek, for now, is not looking to fine restaurant owners for failing to comply with limitations on how much grease they discharge, he related.

“We’re not after the money,” Anderson said, adding the goal is to reduce the amount of suspended solids being discharged.

According to town staff, high levels of suspended solids discharged from restaurants place an excessive burden on Cave Creek’s wastewater treatment plant and increase its costs of operation.

In the next couple of weeks, the town plans to hire a company to install sampling ports, at a group rate, at all participating restaurants. The owners, how‑ever, must pay for the ports– equipment to test the amount of grease and other suspended solids released into the town’s sewer system. The company selected to do the job will install all the ports within a one‑ to two‑week period.

Russ Zahurones, manager of Indian Village, reports the restaurant has already installed a sampling port and is awaiting test results.

Cave Creek’s ordinance, in effect since 1999, sets a limit of 350 milligrams of suspended solids per liter of water.

“The town highly recommends restaurants put in a sampling port to get a fair and representative test of discharge,” Anderson said.

Zahurones doesn’t think |restaurant owners are very worried about the ordinance because, he says, the whole permitting process for installation of sampling ports is moving slowly.

On average, Cave Creek’s wastewater treatment plant is operating at 60‑75 percent of capacity, depending on the peak demand, Anderson said. The town plans to construct a new, larger plant in about three years.

Although three to four new restaurants are planning to open in Cave Creek, the town has no plans to limit the number of restaurants that want to open for business here, according to Anderson.

He points out, however, “If we stopped all the restaurants from building in Cave Creek, the existing restaurants will still have to comply with the ordinance.”

Anderson points out that two of the 28 restaurants operating in Cave Creek have already installed a sampling port.

Reach a reporter at kathleen@thedesertadvocate.com.