Grease Trap Requirements
San Francisco, CA

FOG Compliance in San Francisco, CA

Food service establishments in San Francisco 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 3,920 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 Francisco, the rule is: At minimum every 90 days. This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities.

San Francisco requires a dedicated FOG permit for any food service establishment generating fats, oils, and grease. The annual permit fee is Wastewater discharge permit fees vary; FOG-specific facility registration is included in the industrial waste permit program. The permit is separate from, and in addition to, the plumbing permit required at installation. Violations carry maximum penalties of $10,000 per day per violation under San Francisco Public Works Code; additional state penalties may apply under California Water Code , 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 Francisco 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. At least annually; SFPUC may inspect more frequently based on risk or compliance history. 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 San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Wastewater Enterprise; San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) for food facility permits, 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.