Grease Interceptor — Austin Water (Pretreatment)

What it is. A properly sized grease interceptor (minimum 500-gallon for facilities using a dishwasher) approved and sized by Austin Water Pretreatment before purchase or installation. 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 — purchasing before approval risks rejection and replacement costs. Units below 100-gallon liquid holding capacity will not be approved.

Design rule. The interceptor must provide 7-minute retention time in compartment 1 and 5-minute retention time in compartment 2 (12 minutes total) to allow cooling and separation of FOG and solids.

No enzymes or chemicals. Under Austin City Code §15-10-22(23), adding enzymes, chemicals, or other agents to cause FOG and solids to pass through the interceptor is prohibited — interceptor sizing is based on gravimetric separation, and emulsifiers interfere with it.

Who issues/enforces it. Austin Water — Pretreatment / Industrial Waste (City layer). Apply for a Pretreatment Plan Review through Austin Water.

When you need it. Any restaurant; obtain approval letter before purchase; install during build-out (plumbing permit).

Fees. Per Austin Water — see source (⟢ VERIFY).

What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.

References

• Austin Water — Grease Trap Sizing & Design Criteria — https://www.austintexas.gov/water/grease-trap-sizing-design-criteria — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
• Austin Water — Industrial Waste Plan Review (Pretreatment) — https://austintexas.gov/department/pretreatment-plan-review — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02