Grease Trap Requirements
San Diego, CA

FOG Compliance in San Diego, CA

Food service establishments in San Diego 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. The city has approximately 7,761 food service establishments — every one of them subject to the rules summarized below.

Pumping frequency is the compliance rule restaurant owners interact with most often. In San Diego, the rule is: Every 90 days minimum or when FOG accumulation reaches 25% of interceptor capacity. This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities.

San Diego requires a dedicated FOG permit for any food service establishment generating fats, oils, and grease. The annual permit fee is FOG Discharge Permit required; annual permit fees typically $150-$400 depending on facility class. The permit is separate from, and in addition to, the plumbing permit required at installation. Violations carry maximum penalties of $10,000 per violation per day under San Diego Municipal Code; administrative civil penalties also available , in line with typical US municipal penalties. Fines typically escalate with repeat violations, and severe discharges that cause sanitary sewer overflows can trigger federal Clean Water Act penalties layered on top of local fines.

San Diego enforces the 25 percent rule: grease traps must be pumped before the combined FOG and settled solids reach 25 percent of the trap's total liquid depth. Inspectors measure the depth with a sludge judge or dipstick, typically at surprise visits. Exceeding the threshold at inspection triggers a notice of violation and mandatory emergency pump-out, regardless of the scheduled pumping cycle. City of San Diego Public Utilities Department conducts inspections; FSEs inspected on a risk-based schedule, typically every 1-3 years. 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 San Diego Public Utilities Department, Environmental Monitoring and Technical Services Division, 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.