When a new trap is the right call
- A trap that a free on-site inspection shows can’t be repaired
- A trap that no longer meets Austin’s sizing rules for the kitchen it serves
- A kitchen that needs a grease trap where there isn’t one
If your trap is simply cracked, corroded or missing part of its baffle wall, ask about repair first. It’s typically under half the cost of replacement.
What Austin asks for before a new trap goes in
All commercial and institutional food preparation businesses in Austin must have a grease interceptor approved by Austin Water. For a new one, the order matters.
Approval before purchase
The project needs building plan approval and an Industrial Waste approval letter setting the trap’s required size and design. Austin Water warns that buying first creates a risk of rejection and replacement costs.
“Do not purchase a grease trap or interceptor before obtaining building plan approval and an Industrial Waste approval letter specifying the required size and design.”
— Austin Water, Grease Trap Sizing & Design Criteria
A minimum size
Austin sizes a trap from the kitchen’s fixture units, and nothing under 100 gallons of liquid holding capacity is approved.
“Grease traps and interceptors with a minimum liquid holding capacity below 100 gallons will not be approved for installation.”
— Austin Water, Grease Trap Sizing & Design Criteria
No garbage disposals
Austin has banned garbage disposals and grinders from commercial kitchens, so a new trap’s drain lines shouldn’t be planned around one.
The old trap
When a grease trap is taken out of service, Austin Water has a formal abandonment procedure for it.
Repair or a new trap?
Most traps can be repaired.
Questions about grease trap installation in Austin
Can I buy a grease trap and have it put in straight away?
Not in Austin. Building plan approval and an Industrial Waste approval letter come first, and they set the trap’s size and design.
What’s the smallest grease trap Austin approves?
Nothing under 100 gallons of liquid holding capacity.
Does a new trap still need pump-outs?
Yes. Austin’s cleaning rule applies to every grease trap: completely emptied at least every three months, or sooner once grease and solids reach 50% of the wetted height, by a hauler permitted by the City of Austin.
Open 24/7
Cracked, leaking or just failed? Ask about repair before you replace.
Call (512) 801-4131 at any hour, and a person will answer. Or send a message with what you’ve found.