Key facts: Emergency Commercial Drain Cleaning
- Somerville requires food preparation establishments to have fats, oils and grease management devices, with annual approval since June 30, 2022 [1].
- Grease interceptors slow kitchen wastewater so fats float and solids settle before the flow reaches the sewer [2].
- Grease is a leading cause of sanitary sewer blockages and overflows [3].
- Many Somerville restaurants sit in Union Square, the city's earliest and biggest business district, often in buildings with shared drains [4].
In the middle of service
Commercial drain failures Somerville kitchens and shops run into
Each of these looks different and points to a different part of the system.
Floor drain behind the cook line pushing up water
The kitchen branch or the line past the interceptor is blocked. Every sink draining upstream feeds the overflow.
Grease interceptor lid weeping or overflowing
The interceptor is full of grease and solids, or its outlet is plugged. Either way, wastewater has nowhere to go.
Three-compartment sink draining slowly
Grease building in the branch between the sink and the interceptor. A warning before a full stop.
Customer restroom toilet backing up
Often a restroom branch clog, but if the kitchen is slow too, the building drain may be involved.
Sewer odor in the dining room or basement
A dry floor drain trap, a full interceptor, or a backup beginning in the building drain.
Keeping people safe
What Somerville restaurant staff should do while a drain is down
Give these to the shift lead. They protect staff, food and customers while you arrange help.
- Stop dish, prep and mop waterShut off the dish machine and stop filling sinks. Every gallon goes toward the overflow.
- Close valves on anything still fillingPre-rinse and fill valves, ice machine supply if it drains to the same line, and the main if a supply pipe is leaking.
- Keep staff out of standing wastewater near equipmentKitchens are full of plugged-in equipment at floor level. Nobody should stand in water near cords or outlets; cut circuits at the panel only from dry ground.
- Protect food and prep surfacesMove open food away from any area wastewater has reached, and follow your food safety plan about what must be discarded.
- Tell the upstairs tenants or neighboring businessesIn a mixed-use building, apartments above may share the stack. Ask them to limit water use until the line is open.
- Do not dump chemicals into the interceptor or floor drainThey can push grease further downstream, harm the interceptor, and create fumes in a closed kitchen.
How interceptors fail
Why does a grease interceptor overflow on a busy night?
A grease interceptor is a tank that slows kitchen wastewater enough for fats and oils to float to the top and food solids to settle to the bottom, letting cleaner water out through a baffled outlet [2]. As it fills, the space between the grease cap and the sludge layer shrinks. Past a certain point grease starts leaving with the water, coating the line downstream, and eventually the outlet or the line after it plugs.
Busy nights are when that point arrives, because volume and temperature rise together. Hot water from the dish machine can carry melted fat straight through a full interceptor, where it cools and sets a few feet downstream. A backup that appears at the floor drain mid-service is very often that grease plug.
Grease does not only hurt the business. Fats are a well-known cause of sanitary sewer blockages and overflows [3], which is why the city treats grease control seriously.
City rules
Somerville's FOG program and what it means during a commercial drain emergency
Somerville regulates fats, oils and grease from food preparation establishments. Grease management devices such as traps and interceptors are required, food preparation establishments have needed annual approval since June 30, 2022, and Inspectional Services can issue tickets for non-compliance [1]. Keep pumping and cleaning records where you can find them.
During an emergency, that matters in two ways. First, the interceptor may need to be pumped by a grease hauler in addition to the line being cleared, and the drain contractor can tell you which problem you have. Second, an overflow is a good moment to check that the device is sized and serviced appropriately, before the next inspection rather than after it. Questions about requirements belong with the city's FOG program directly.
Close or keep going
How urgent is a commercial drain problem in Somerville?
| Problem | Urgency | Practical step |
|---|---|---|
| Floor drain overflowing in the kitchen | Call now | Stop all water; consider pausing service |
| Interceptor overflowing | Call now | Arrange pumping and line clearing |
| One prep sink slow | Call soon | Shift prep to another sink if it drains separately |
| Customer restroom toilet stopped | Call today | Close that restroom and post a sign |
| Odor without backup | Book a visit | Check floor drain traps have water in them |
The commercial call-out
How an urgent restaurant drain clearing in Somerville is approached
- 1
Finding out what is upstream of the backup
Which sinks, drains and fixtures feed the line, where the interceptor sits, and where cleanouts are.
- 2
Checking the interceptor level
If the interceptor is full, clearing the line alone just moves the problem; it may need pumping first.
- 3
Opening the line from the nearest cleanout
A cable relieves the backup so the kitchen can drain and staff can work safely.
- 4
Cleaning the grease from the walls
Where the pipe is sound, hydro jetting can scour grease that would otherwise re-form the plug within days.
- 5
Running the kitchen at full flow before leaving
Dish machine, sinks and floor drains are run together to confirm the line handles a real service load.
Next time
Keeping a Somerville storefront or kitchen drain from failing mid-shift
Scheduled cleaning on a regular cycle is far less disruptive than a Friday night overflow. The commercial drain cleaning page covers planned work, and preventative drain maintenance explains maintenance schedules. Train staff to scrape plates into the trash, keep strainers in floor drains, and never pour fryer oil down a sink. If urgent jetting is being considered for a line in an older building, the emergency hydro jetting page explains when it is and is not safe. For storefronts in the Union Square area, older shared building drains are worth knowing about.
Business owner questions
Urgent drain questions Somerville restaurant owners ask
Do I need the interceptor pumped or the line cleared?
If the interceptor is full of grease, it needs pumping; if it is not full but water will not leave the kitchen, the line is blocked. Sometimes both are needed, because a full interceptor pushes grease into the line downstream. Check when it was last pumped and tell the contractor. A drain contractor clears lines; a licensed hauler usually pumps grease interceptors.
Can I keep serving while a floor drain is backing up?
Not safely if dirty water is on the kitchen floor, because it is a slip and hygiene risk for staff and food. Stop using the sinks and dishwasher that feed that drain, and keep people off wet floors. Whether to close is your decision and may involve your health inspector's rules. Call to check emergency availability so you know how soon the line can be cleared.
Does Somerville require grease traps for restaurants?
Yes, Somerville's fats, oils and grease rules require food service businesses to have grease control equipment and to maintain it. The city's FOG program covers inspection and record-keeping. Check the city's current requirements for your type of business. A contractor clearing a grease-blocked line can also tell you if the interceptor seems undersized or overdue for service, as covered on commercial drain cleaning.
Is urgent commercial drain clearing done after closing?
Often, because working after hours avoids disturbing customers, but timing depends on the contractor and the urgency. If the drain is affecting service now, ask about the earliest time they can attend. Some jobs, such as jetting long grease lines, are easier with the kitchen empty. Call to check emergency availability and explain your opening hours and what is out of action.
Who can jet a restaurant drain line in Somerville tonight?
A local commercial drain contractor with a jetter can, and a call here puts you through to one so you can ask about emergency availability. Grease lines usually need hydro jetting rather than a cable alone. Say which sinks and drains are affected and when the interceptor was last pumped. More details are on the emergency hydro jetting page.
How do I stop my kitchen drains backing up during the dinner rush?
Keep grease out of the drains, pump the interceptor on schedule and book regular line cleaning. Scrape plates into the trash, use strainers on floor drains and sinks, and train staff not to pour fryer oil or hot fats down the sink. A preventative drain maintenance schedule can catch build-up before it blocks the line. The what not to pour down drains guide covers the basics.
What else can a commercial drain contractor help with?
Besides kitchen lines, they handle customer restrooms, floor drains, main sewer lines and camera inspections. For urgent trouble in shared buildings, you may also need emergency clogged drain service. The full list is on the services page. The contractor you are connected with is independent and confirms what they can do for your business.