What Does the City of Tampa Grease Ordinance Require?

Grease Trap Cleaning Tampa works to the City of Tampa Grease Management Ordinance (City Code Chapter 26, Article VII). It requires indoor grease traps to be cleaned at least weekly and before they reach 25%, and interceptors to be pumped by a City-registered hauler before solids reach the outlet or grease and solids pass 25%. There is no fixed day count.

Who the ordinance covers

The ordinance (Ordinance 2006-288, effective November 21, 2006) applies to food service facilities and grease haulers inside Tampa city limits. The City says grease blockages are the leading cause of its sanitary sewer overflows. Every food service facility must have a grease trap or interceptor installed to the Florida Building Code – Plumbing. Restroom waste may never be connected to it.

Traps vs interceptors

• Grease trap: an indoor unit rated at 50 gallons per minute or less.
• Grease interceptor: an outdoor, in-ground tank rated above 50 gpm or holding 750 gallons or more.

Grease traps (Sec. 26-306(f))

• Fitted with a flow-control device rated to the trap, and vented to end at least 6 inches above the flood rim (or as the manufacturer specifies).
• Opened, inspected, cleaned and maintained at least once a week, and always before grease and solids pass 25% of the trap.
• Cleaned by a registered hauler or by staff under a written protocol.
• Removed grease leaves with a registered hauler, unless it’s solid, dry, mixed with absorbent, sealed, and no more than 5 pounds.

Grease interceptors (Sec. 26-306(e))

• Pumped by a City-registered hauler, with complete removal of floating grease, gray water, bottom sludge and solids, and the walls, floors, baffles and piping scraped.
• Pumped before any of these: settled solids pass the outlet pipe invert (typically 8 inches); grease and solids exceed 25%; the unit stops retaining grease; a blockage or backup; sanitary waste entering the system.
• The hauler inspects the interceptor during or right after pumping and must notify you in writing if it isn’t working properly.
• Nothing removed may be returned to the interceptor or the sewer.

Records (Sec. 26-306(d))

Keep a logbook of all maintenance: date and time, estimated gallons removed, defects and repairs, hauler and plumber receipts, and sizing or flow calculations. Keep it one year and show it on request. Plumbing drawings must reach the inspector within 10 days of a request.

Additives (Sec. 26-306(g))

Chemicals, enzymes, emulsifiers, bacteria and grease cutters need the inspector’s approval first. The City can require a sampling port, at your expense, to prove a product works.

Haulers (Sec. 26-308)

Pumping traps or interceptors inside city limits without City registration is unlawful. Registration lasts three years and can’t be transferred, and haulers keep their records for three years. See registered grease haulers in Tampa.

When the City can require a new trap

Line stoppages, wastewater grease over 400 mg/l, no trap, a defective trap, remodelling that needs a plumbing permit, unconnected fixtures, or a sale or change of ownership. See buying a restaurant.

Violation deadlines and fees

After a Notice of Violation: 24 hours to clean a trap, 72 hours to pump an interceptor for a missed frequency; 30 days to repair a trap and 60 for an interceptor; 60 days to replace a trap and 6 months for an interceptor. A passed re-inspection is free, and a failed one is billed at $61 per hour of inspector time. If the City pumps your interceptor, it adds a $50 administrative fee to the pumping cost. See what to do after a Notice of Violation.