Grease Trap Requirements
Tampa, FL

FOG Compliance in Tampa, FL

Food service establishments in Tampa 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 2,748 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 Tampa, the rule is: Minimum every 90 days (quarterly). More frequent pumping required if grease and solids exceed 25% of interceptor capacity. This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities.

Tampa requires a dedicated FOG permit for any food service establishment generating fats, oils, and grease. The annual permit fee is FOG discharge permit required. Permit fees set by City of Tampa Wastewater Department; contact (813) 274-8070 for current fee schedule.. 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 day per violation under City of Tampa Code. Additional administrative penalties, surcharges, and potential disconnection of sewer service for chronic non-compliance. , 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.

Tampa 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 Tampa Wastewater Department conducts routine FOG inspections. Frequency is risk-based; typically annual for compliant FSEs. Establishments in violation may be inspected quarterly or more frequently.. 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 Tampa Wastewater Department; Hillsborough County Public Utilities, FOG Program, 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.