Grease Trap Requirements
Orlando, FL

FOG Compliance in Orlando, FL

Food service establishments in Orlando operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, Florida 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 3,592 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 Orlando, the rule is: Minimum every 90 days (quarterly). Must be pumped before grease/solids reach 25% of the interceptor capacity. This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities.

Orlando requires a dedicated FOG permit for any food service establishment generating fats, oils, and grease. The annual permit fee is Industrial wastewater/FOG discharge permit required. Fees determined by Orlando Water Reclamation Division; typically $75-$150 annually depending on establishment category.. The permit is separate from, and in addition to, the plumbing permit required at installation. Violations carry maximum penalties of Up to $10,000 per violation per day under City of Orlando Code. Additional civil penalties and potential injunctive relief. , 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.

Orlando 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 conducted by Orlando Water Reclamation Division / Orange County Utilities Environmental Compliance. Risk-based schedule; typically annual for compliant FSEs, with increased frequency for non-compliant facilities.. 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 Orlando Water Reclamation Division; Orange County Utilities, Environmental Compliance 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.