Grease Trap Requirements
San Jose, CA

FOG Compliance in San Jose, CA

Food service establishments in San Jose 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 4,820 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 Jose, the rule is: Grease traps serviced at least monthly. This places it among the strictest tier of US jurisdictions, alongside most of Houston-area and high-volume Los Angeles County restaurants. 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 San Jose 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.

San Jose 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.

San Jose 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. Routine inspections by City FOG inspectors during normal business hours. 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 Jose Environmental Services Department, Water Utilities 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.