Grease Trap Requirements
Richmond, VA

FOG Compliance in Richmond, VA

Food service establishments in Richmond operate under a combination of federal EPA pretreatment standards, Virginia 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 680 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 Richmond, the rule is: Monthly. This places it among the strictest tier of US jurisdictions, alongside most of Houston-area and high-volume Los Angeles County restaurants. 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 Richmond 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. The local minimum trap size is: Sizes referenced in local code: 600 gallons.

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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.