About 8,000 commercial establishments in Tijuana are now enrolled in the city’s “Trap the Grease and Solids” program, an effort to keep cooking oils and fatty waste out of the municipal drainage system. Mónica Vega Aguirre, director general of the Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Tijuana (CESPT), announced the milestone on March 27 during a visit to a participating restaurant.
The grease trap program targets businesses that generate fats, oils, and grease in their wastewater. Enrolled establishments include restaurants, shopping centers, hospitals, car washes, and any commercial operation producing fatty residues.
How the Program Works
Participating businesses must install and maintain functioning grease retention systems that capture oils and solids before wastewater enters the sewer network. Each business must also renew its compliance certificate annually, confirming that its equipment meets CESPT standards.
Vega Aguirre said the program reduces grease accumulation in the sanitary network and prevents blockages throughout the drainage system. When grease enters sewer lines unchecked, it hardens and narrows pipes. That leads to backups, sewage spills onto streets, and public health hazards in surrounding neighborhoods.
Why It Matters for Tijuana’s Aging Infrastructure
Tijuana’s sewer system serves a metropolitan population of roughly 1.8 million people. The city has long struggled with drainage failures, particularly during the rainy season when clogged pipes compound stormwater overflow. Sewage spills in Tijuana have also created chronic cross-border contamination problems in the Tijuana River Valley on the U.S. side of the border.
Grease is one of the most common causes of sewer blockages worldwide. In Tijuana, where the drainage network includes aging infrastructure, even partial clogs can trigger sewage overflows that flood residential streets and create health risks. The “Trap the Grease and Solids” program is a preventive measure aimed at reducing those incidents at their source: commercial kitchens and service businesses.
Compliance and Enforcement
CESPT requires annual renewal of compliance certificates, giving the agency a regular check on whether businesses are maintaining their grease traps. The program covers a broad range of commercial operations, not just restaurants. Any business generating fatty residues in its wastewater is expected to participate.
With 8,000 businesses now enrolled, the program represents one of the larger municipal grease management efforts in Baja California. For residents living near commercial corridors, the initiative aims to reduce the sewage backups and street flooding that frequently affect colonias across the city.
Originally reported by Jornada BC and Diario Tijuana.