Grease Trap Requirements
Covina, CA

FOG Compliance in Covina, CA

Food service establishments in Covina operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, California state plumbing code, and city-level FOG ordinances. Together these rules determine how grease traps must be sized, how often they must be pumped, and what happens when a restaurant falls out of compliance.

Pumping frequency is the compliance rule restaurant owners interact with most often. In Covina, the rule is: As needed to prevent FOG accumulation from exceeding capacity. This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities. The city follows the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) for trap sizing and installation. Under Section 1014, which applies a fixture drainage load formula with a retention time factor, grease interceptors installed in Covina must meet minimum capacity thresholds based on the fixtures connected to them — 3-compartment sinks, dishwashers, pre-rinse stations, wok stoves, and floor drains on the cook line. The local minimum trap size is: Grease traps: 10-50 gallons (up to 4 fixtures); gravity grease interceptors sized per California UPC.

Covina requires a dedicated FOG permit for any food service establishment generating fats, oils, and grease. The permit is separate from, and in addition to, the plumbing permit required at installation.

Establishments must maintain pumping logs, hauler manifests, and inspection reports on-site — missing records is itself a violation in most enforcement actions. Enforcement authority rests with the City of Covina Public Works Engineering Services, which handles permit issuance, inspections, and hauler licensing.

For a deeper explanation of the rules this city enforces, read our guides on how grease traps work and the 25/50 pumping rule.