Grease Trap Cleaning Tampa follows Hillsborough County's grease rule for unincorporated areas such as Brandon and Riverview. Every grease trap and interceptor must be serviced at least once every 90 days, and its grease and solids may never exceed 25% of wetted volume. Invoices or manifests stay on site for 12 months.
Who it covers
Hillsborough County’s Grease Management Program applies to food service establishments in unincorporated Hillsborough County that discharge to the County’s sewer system. That includes Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, Seffner, Carrollwood and Town ‘n’ Country. It’s run by County Public Utilities under County Code Chapter 120 (Ordinance 06-31, Article VII). The City of Tampa and Temple Terrace have their own grease ordinances. Other incorporated cities should check with their own utility.
The 90-day / 25% rule
From the County’s grease management FAQ:
- All grease interceptors and grease traps must be serviced at least once every 90 days.
- At no time may the device’s contents exceed 25% of its wetted volume.
- The 90-day minimum doesn’t override a stricter schedule you’ve already been set.
- Alternate schedules are reviewed case by case. You must show the unit can go longer without service and still meet the 25% standard continuously.
The 90 days is a ceiling. A busy kitchen can hit 25% in a month, and the 25% limit is the one inspectors measure.
Self-cleaning
Small under-the-counter traps with less than 50 pounds of grease retention capacity may be cleaned by your own staff, with the removed material going out with your solid waste. Everything larger needs a hauler registered with the County. The County registers haulers separately from the City of Tampa. See can I clean my own grease trap?
Records
Keep a copy of the invoice or manifest for every service, showing the date and the volume removed, on site or available for at least 12 months. Florida law separately requires you to keep each signed hauler manifest for a year. See grease trap records and manifests.
Inspections
County staff carry out scheduled and unannounced inspections of food service establishments, checking installation, operation, maintenance and records. They may also take wastewater samples to check your discharge. See what grease inspectors look for.
Contacting the County
The Grease Management Program is part of Hillsborough County Public Utilities: GotGrease@HCFL.gov, or (813) 307-1000 (ext. 43515). Area pages: Brandon and Riverview.
Bottom line
In unincorporated Hillsborough: service at least every 90 days, never past 25%, a registered hauler for anything over 50 lb capacity, and 12 months of invoices on site. For a schedule that meets it, call (727) 476-9241.