Grease Trap Maintenance

Grease traps, also known as grease interceptors, are designed to separate fats, oils and grease (FOG) and solids found in food preparation waste from wastewater discharged to the City's sanitary sewer system.

Maintenance and documentation requirements for grease traps under Austin City Code are outlined in Chapter 15-10. These requirements include:

• Grease traps must be pumped out at least once every 90 days, or sooner if grease and solids make up 50% or more of the wetted height of the trap as measured from the bottom of the trap to the invert of the outlet pipe (§ 15-10-197)
• Grease trap waste may only be removed and transported by a liquid waste hauler with a valid City of Austin permit (§ 15-10-197)
• Manifest records provided by the liquid waste hauler after each pump-out must be kept on site for three years (§ 15-10-165) — see an example manifest (PDF)
• Except as authorized under Chapter 15-10, no one may discharge fat, oil, grease or similar material to the wastewater system in excess of an instantaneous limit of 200 milligrams per liter (§ 15-10-23)

Failure to meet any one of these maintenance or documentation requirements is a separate violation of the Austin City Code. Potential penalties include fines and permit revocations (§ 15-10, Article 12).

If your business needs a grease trap installation or replacement, you may qualify for the Grease Trap Relief Program.

Benefits of a Well-Maintained Grease Trap

Keeping your grease trap properly maintained:

• Extends the useful life of your trap
• Lowers your utility surcharge fees
• Reduces the risk of costly plumbing repairs, cleanup costs, fines and downtime from a sanitary sewer overflow or clogged line re-plumbing

Best Management Practices

Developing good pollution prevention practices keeps your facility in compliance with the City's Wastewater Ordinance, protects the local environment and saves money.

• Staff Education

  • Train employees on proper food waste, FOG, and wastewater disposal procedures.

  • Post signage prohibiting the disposal of grease and food waste into sinks or floor drains to serve as a constant reminder to employees.

    Food Service Establishment (FSE) Benefit: People are more willing to support and implement an effort if they understand the reason and benefits for it, especially when the benefits extend beyond the facility itself.

• Kitchen Cleaning and Food Waste/FOG Disposal

  • Scrape and dispose of food waste into compost containers before washing dishes, utensils, cookware, or equipment. Never use food grinders or disposals as these have been prohibited in commercial kitchens in the Austin Water service area since 2008.

  • Use paper towels to clean work areas and to wipe food residue and grease from dishes, utensils, cookware, and equipment before washing. Cloth towels are discouraged because they will release grease when washing.

  • Install and maintain sink strainers and floor drains to prevent food solids from entering the plumbing system.

  • Sweep floors before mopping or washing down surfaces.

  • Properly collect, store, recycle, or dispose of used cooking oil and grease.

  • Do not discharge food waste, grease, oils, dairy products, chemicals, cleaning solutions, or other waste materials into sinks, floor drains, toilets, or storm drains.

    FSE Benefit: Proper kitchen cleaning and food waste disposal helps to minimize solids and FOG that enter the sanitary sewer system. This reduces the chances of an SSO, which can lead to temporary business closures and create environmental, health, and safety risks.

• Spill Prevention and Maintenance

  • Clean spills immediately using dry cleanup methods. Do not hose spills, grease, food waste, or debris into drains, streets, or gutters.

  • Store oils, grease, and waste containers with secondary containment to prevent leaks, spills, and stormwater exposure.

  • Maintain plumbing and drain lines, and kitchen equipment in good working condition.

  • Promptly address slow drains, backups, overflows, leaks, or other plumbing issues.

    FSE Benefit: Proper spill prevention and maintenance techniques can reduce the chances of various impacts, particularly environmental, from a grease related overflow.

Additional BMPs Related to a Grease Trap:

• Be present for GT pump-outs and talk to your liquid waste hauler (LWH) about the percentage of grease and solids in the interceptor as well as the condition of the pretreatment device itself.

  • GTs must be pumped out at least once every 90 days, or sooner if grease and solids make up 50% or more of the wetted height of the trap as measured from the bottom of the trap to the invert of the outlet pipe (§ 15-10-197).

  • GT waste may only be removed and transported by a City of Austin permitted LWH (§ 15-10-197).

  • If a pump-out manifest provided to you by the LWH indicates that the GT needs repair, take appropriate action to have it serviced immediately.

• Ensure the GT remains accessible including regularly checking that lids aren’t blocked, bolts aren’t seized, and covers aren’t damaged.

• Never use enzymes, bacteria and/or other agents that would cause the contents of a GT to pass through the pretreatment device rather than be retained (§ 15-10-22 (23)). While these substances will temporarily help liquify FOG, it will re-congeal further down in the pipes.

• Consider investing in a Grease Trap Monitoring System that can provide alerts when a pump-out is needed and notifications for any conditions that may indicate improper or diminished functionality.

  FSE Benefit: Being educated on the GT will ensure it is working at peak performance and likely extend the device’s lifespan. This means lower utility surcharge fees and less maintenance costs.

Educational Resources

English

• Grease interceptor overview and customer responsibilities (PDF)
• Existing grease interceptor overview — information for potential property buyers or lessees (PDF)
• Caring for your grease trap — presentation (PDF)
• History and maintenance of grease interceptors — presentation (PDF)
• Restaurant's guide to grease interceptors (PDF)
• Food Service Establishments Best Management Practices (PDF)

Español

• Interceptores de Grasa — Responsabilidades del Cliente (PDF)
• Descripción General de Interceptores de Grasas Existentes — Información Para Potenciales Compradores de Propiedades (PDF)
• Presentación de Interceptor de Grasa (PDF)
• Presentación de Historia y Mantenimiento de los Interceptores de Grasa (PDF)
• Guía Para Restaurante: Trampas de Grasa (PDF)

简体中文

• 隔油池 — 客户责任 (PDF)
• 现有油脂拦截器概述 — 潜在物业买家的信息 (PDF)
• 餐厅指南：隔油池 (PDF)

한국어

• 그리스 포집기 — 고객 책임 (PDF)
• 기존 그리스 포집기 개요 — 잠재적 건물 구매자를 위한 정보 (PDF)
• 레스토랑용 그리스 캐처 가이드 (PDF)

Tiếng Việt

• Bể tách dầu mỡ — Trách nhiệm của khách hàng (PDF)
• Tổng quan về bể tách mỡ hiện có — Thông tin dành cho người mua bất động sản tiềm năng (PDF)
• Hướng dẫn cho nhà hàng về bể tách dầu mỡ (PDF)

Grease Trap Abandonment

For grease traps that must be taken out of service, follow the appropriate set of procedures below:

• Properties receiving wastewater service from Austin Water — See Grease Trap Abandonment Requirements for Properties Receiving Wastewater Service from Austin Water (PDF)
• Properties connected to septic tanks or on-site sewage facilities — See the Procedure for Tank Abandonment (PDF) as regulated by Austin Water's On-Site Sewage Facilities Program