Grease Traps

Required Grease Traps

Grease traps without bypasses shall be installed on the discharge lines of every dish-washing sink, dish-washing machine, and every fixed receptacle or plumbing fixture designed, intended, or used for the purpose of washing dishes or cooking utensils in a restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, lunchroom, hotel kitchen, hospital kitchen, sanitarium kitchen, and/or similar establishments that serve, or have capacity to serve, 100 or more meals per day. The waste lines from these fixtures shall be connected to and shall drain or discharge into an approved grease trap. The determination of the meal-serving capacity and capacity to serve 100 or more meals per day shall be based upon a serving or seating capacity of 15 or more persons or patrons at any one time. (Ordinance 2010 to 11 Section 1 (part): prior code Section 18 to 25)

Design and Installation

All grease traps or interceptors have an approved rate of flow of at least 14 gallons per minute. Inside grease traps shall be used only when it is impractical to install an outside trap. Such inside grease traps shall be of ample capacity and design with a maximum grease capacity of not less than six pounds. Outside grease traps shall not be of less than 55 gallon capacity, made of impervious material, and watertight. The trap shall be located no less than three feet outside the foundation wall of the building and as close as possible to the fixture the same serves. The design and installation of all grease traps shall be in accordance with the plumbing code and building code in force at the time the design is submitted for approval. Installations shall be inspected by the Glendale Building Department and/or the Glendale Public Works Director or his designee. (Ordinance 2010 to 11 Section 1 (part))

Maintenance of Grease Traps and Interceptors

Where installed, all grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at owner's expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times. Certain minimum operation and maintenance activities are required by the code and are specified in the Grease Trap Operation, Maintenance, and Record Keeping Requirements brochure, which has been prepared by the Glendale Public Works Department and which may be revised from time to time as deemed necessary.

Operational standards will include types of waste material and cleaning compounds that can and cannot be introduced into the grease trap as well as other operational requirements.

Maintenance standards will include prescribed frequency of inspections and cleanings. They will also include instructions regarding the prevention of spills and methods of containing spills.

Record keeping standards will include:

  • The record keeping form in use in the City of Glendale
  • The frequency with which the form is to be updated
  • The location where the form is to be kept
  • Instructions regarding when and how to submit periodic reports to the City

(Ordinance 2010 to 11 Section 1 (part): prior code Section 18-26)