Donny Ciaramella, Revere’s chief of infrastructure and engineering, said there are 30 pump stations in the city, 13 that are sanitary sewer pump stations, and another 17 that are stormwater drain pump stations.
The sanitary sewer pump station located on Furlong Drive, a solely commercial district across from Suffolk Downs, has been hampered by a build-up of food grease caused by food businesses in that area.
Ciaramella and a city crew visited the site of the pump last week to engage in full-scale cleaning operations.
“The pump station’s flow is being hindered by grease and it’s a food grease,†determined Ciaramella. “What’s happening is that businesses are introducing the buildup of grease into the sanitary sewer lines as a result of not disposing the grease properly.â€
Ciaramella said that the food businesses are not cleaning their grease traps or maintaining them in proper fashion and “the grease is fouling the station tremendously.
“And it’s costing the City of Revere an exorbitant amount of money to clean these stations because of the grease build-up,†added Ciaramella.
He said that like other cities Revere has a FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) Program whose goal is to prevent fats, oils, and grease from entering the sanitary sewage system.
“The businesses in that area need to recognize that they have to dispose of their fats, oils, and grease properly,†cautioned Ciaramella. “They’re not supposed to just dispose these substances into the sink or toilet. They’re supposed to collect them and recycle them. The businesses need to dispose of them properly and we need to make sure they’re doing that.â€
Ciaramella’s latest initiative comes as the DPW has received considerable praise from the City Council for its work in Revere during the pandemic, including preventative measures that have saved the City hundreds of thousands of dollars. The DPW will soon have a new home as a modern 37,500 square-foot public works building is being constructed on the current site at 321A Charger St.
