Authority
All commercial and institutional food preparation businesses in Austin must have an Austin Water-approved grease interceptor unless a variance applies.
Utility-owned compliance workflow
Rule holder: Austin Water Pretreatment Program
This page serves Austin operators, but the actual grease and manifest workflow is governed by Austin Water Pretreatment Program. The city URL is an entry surface; the authority route is the canonical source-backed path.
Austin FOG rules
Austin grease trap and interceptor rules
Austin, TX grease trap rules for restaurants: interceptor approval, pump-out timing, manifests to keep on site, and hauler checks.
Proof on site
Trip ticket manifest documentation must be followed and retained for up to three years.
Likely fail trigger
Failure to maintain the device or manifest trail can trigger pretreatment notices, escalation, and potential service consequences.
Next action
Verify the installed interceptor type against the city approval letter.
Authority Summary
All commercial and institutional food preparation businesses in Austin must have an Austin Water-approved grease interceptor unless a variance applies.
Keep on site
Trip ticket manifest documentation must be followed and retained for up to three years.
Official requirement
Local Interceptor Requirements
Official requirement
All commercial and institutional food preparation businesses in Austin must have an Austin Water-approved grease interceptor unless a variance applies.
Official requirement
Austin Water Pretreatment Program approves the interceptor setup through plan review.
Official requirement
Austin City Code Section 15-10-197 requires complete cleaning at least once every three months, or sooner when grease and solids reach the 50 percent trigger.
Keep on site
Inspection-Ready Proof
fact_check
Trip ticket manifest documentation must be followed and retained for up to three years.
Keep this accessible before the inspector has to ask twice.
fact_check
The interceptor approval letter or equivalent plan-review record.
Keep this accessible before the inspector has to ask twice.
fact_check
A service history that explains why the current cadence is safe.
Keep this accessible before the inspector has to ask twice.
Inspection and enforcement risk
Common Inspection Failures
Failure to maintain the device or manifest trail can trigger pretreatment notices, escalation, and potential service consequences.
Failure to resolve this condition can trigger corrective action or delayed approval.
High risk
A missing manifest trail weakens every pump-out claim.
Failure to resolve this condition can trigger corrective action or delayed approval.
High risk
Overdue service or an unclear interceptor setup can push the issue back to the operator.
Failure to resolve this condition can trigger corrective action or delayed approval.
High risk
Need a hauler check before the next pump-out?
Start with the city's official list and then confirm the vendor still covers grease waste and manifest handling.
Austin publishes an authority-backed hauler or preferred-pumper list, but it does not recommend or endorse any provider on that list.
Sponsor slot
Want sponsor placement on Austin coverage?
This inquiry is for direct local sponsor visibility only. It does not change the authority summary or source-backed rule content on the page.
Source stack
Authority-backed sources
Last verified: 2026-04-07
-
Austin Water's current grease interceptor brochure says food-preparation businesses need an approved grease interceptor, service is due at least every 90 days or sooner at the 50 percent trigger, and disposal records must be retained and made available for inspection.
-
Austin's WEIRS report lists active liquid waste haulers currently permitted by the city and says the city neither recommends nor endorses providers on the report.