Food Services
DSRSD staff visit restaurants and other food service facilities annually to inspect grease traps and interceptors. This equipment prevents fats, oil, and grease (FOG) from building up in pipes, pumps, and equipment. DSRSD has a FOG reduction program because FOG is a primary cause of blockages that lead to sewage overflows. By properly disposing of FOG, restaurant owners and their employees help prevent the significant environmental and public health hazards caused by overflows as well as damage to private property and public wastewater systems.
Requirements
When a food service business establishes a wastewater service account with DSRSD, it must demonstrate that appropriate grease traps and interceptors are installed. Subsequently, DSRSD will inspect the equipment at least once a year at an unannounced visit. The inspector ensures that the equipment is functioning as designed and that it is being cleaned and serviced at proper intervals. The business must provide at least one year of documentation verifying cleaning and service dates.
If the equipment fails the inspection, the business owner must make appropriate improvements, such as cleaning more often. The inspector will return for a follow-up visit within 30 days. Food service facilities pay fees for the annual inspection. Additional fees may apply for follow-up inspections and enforcement actions.
For more information, contact Environmental Compliance Inspector Kapil Mohan at (925) 875-2330.
Forms and Resources
- Grease Inspection Program
- Sample Grease Trap Maintenance Log
- Grease Maintenance Companies
- Printable Poster: No Grease Down the Drain
- Fact Sheet: Avoid Fines and Health Risks from Grease Overflows
- Fact Sheet: Grease Removal Devices
- Fact Sheet: Gravity Grease Interceptors
- Fact Sheet: Hydromechanical Grease Interceptors
- Best Management Practices for Cooking Facilities from the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group (PowerPoint file)
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