Grease Trap Requirements
Wilmington, NC

FOG Compliance in Wilmington, NC

Food service establishments in Wilmington operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, North Carolina 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 Wilmington, the rule is: Every 90 days (quarterly). This aligns with the 90-day US median enforced by most major cities. 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 Wilmington 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.

inspect the interceptor approximately monthly.

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