City of Atlanta Grease Trap Requirements: What Inspectors Check

Most restaurant owners prepare for the health inspector. Fewer prepare for the grease inspector. In the City of Atlanta, grease rules are enforced by the Department of Watershed Management through its Grease Management Program, and that inspection looks at different things than the health department does.

Why the city cares about your grease

Grease poured down a kitchen drain cools and hardens in the sewer. According to the Department of Watershed Management, fats, oils and grease from food service establishments contribute to more than half of the blockages or overflows in the city's wastewater collection system. That is why the city sets uniform permitting, maintenance and monitoring requirements for food service businesses.

What a grease inspector usually checks

Every permit is different, so your permit and the city's program page are the final word. In general, expect questions about:

1. Your permit. The city says all food service facilities must submit a permit application, pay permit fees and be available for inspections.
2. Your grease control device. Is there a grease trap or interceptor, is it the right size for your kitchen, and is it in working order?
3. How full it is. Inspectors and technicians often measure the grease and solids layer to see whether pumping is due.
4. Your pumping records. When was it last pumped, who did the work, and what was removed? Records should be on site and easy to find.
5. Who hauled the waste. The city points kitchens to licensed haulers, and you should have proof the waste was disposed of properly.
6. Kitchen habits. The city's best practices include sink strainers, never pouring grease down the drain and not using the garbage disposal.
7. Used cooking oil storage. Containers closed, in good shape and not leaking toward a storm drain.

The record you can't find is the one that hurts

The most common problem we see is not a dirty trap. It is a missing record. If your service reports live in a vendor's inbox or a manager's truck, you don't have them when the inspector asks. Keep a binder or a digital folder at the kitchen with every pump out, every invoice and every service report.

How to be ready

• Find your permit and read the maintenance requirements it sets
• Put pumping on a recurring schedule instead of waiting for a backup
• Ask for a service report after every visit and file it the same day
• Jet the lines past the trap if drains are still slow after pumping (drain jetting in Atlanta)
• Train new staff on what never goes down the drain

Questions about your permit go to the Department of Watershed Management; its Grease Management Program page lists the program contact.

Frequently Asked Questions