Grease Trap Requirements
Washington, DC

FOG Compliance in Washington, DC

Food service establishments in Washington operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, District of Columbia 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 Washington, the rule is: annual. This is more lenient than the US median, typical of jurisdictions with lower-volume food service sectors. 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 Washington 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.

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