A clean environment while serving food is good for your customers and your community. Waste water from your mobile food business must be disposed of properly to avoid clogging sewer lines or polluting the environment. Even on the go, there is much you can do to protect the environment and avoid fines.

Do:

  • Collect all wastewater from utensil washing in a screen-covered container.
  • Discharge utensil washing wastewater to a drain that leads to an adequately sized and regularly cleaned grease trap at your permitted commissary kitchen. The commissary kitchen must have all required health permits, hold a valid wastewater discharge permit from Austin Water and have a grease trap approved by Austin Water for disposal of mobile food vender waste.
  • Use a liquid waste hauler permitted to operate in the City of Austin to dispose of the utensil washing wastewater if your commissary kitchen site does not have a valid Wastewater Discharge Permit or approved grease trap.
  • If using a liquid waste hauler to dispose of this wastewater, make sure:
    • The waste type is marked as “Food Service Grease Interceptor (or Trap)” on the manifest.
    • The wastewater will be taken to a facility permitted to accept food service waste.
    • You obtain and keep your copy of the liquid waste hauler manifest for your records for at least 3 years.
  • Collect used cooking grease in a closed container.
  • Contract with a waste grease recycling service or properly permitted recycling/disposal facility for the collection, recycling or disposal of used cooking grease.

Don’t:

  • Dispose of any wastewater on the ground or down any storm drain.
  • Dispose of any utensil washing wastewater down toilets. Toilets are not connected to grease traps.
  • Dispose of any wastewater at a car wash or any other location not authorized to receive hauled liquid waste or not designated as the permitted commissary kitchen for your mobile food vending operation.
  • Dispose of utensil washing wastewater down any drain unless it has been verified with the commissary kitchen’s business owner/manager that the drain goes to a grease trap approved by Austin Water to accept such waste.
  • Dispose of any used cooking grease to any drain, even if it is connected to a grease trap. This waste must be recycled or disposed using facilities permitted to accept such waste.
  • Break the law. Disregarding any of these prohibitions violates the Austin City Code, with each violation of our code carrying a maximum penalty of $2,000.00 per violation per day.