Grease Trap Requirements
Bowie, MD

FOG Compliance in Bowie, MD

Food service establishments in Bowie operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, Maryland 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 Bowie, 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 International Plumbing Code (IPC) for trap sizing and installation. Under Section 1003.3.4, which sizes traps by drainage fixture unit counts, grease interceptors installed in Bowie 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.

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