San José is dedicated to providing a sustainable environment for its residents and businesses while preserving unique natural habitats. The Environmental Services Department enables San José to respond quickly to new regulations and initiatives while improving customer services such as recycling and garbage collection, wastewater treatment, and the sale of drinking and recycled water. Read below for questions and answers specific to Environmental Services Department plan reviews and other requirements.

What is a grease removal device?

A grease removal device is a treatment system plumbed between kitchen fixtures and your restaurant discharge lines prior to the sanitary sewer collection system. The purpose of the treatment system is to separate fats, oils and grease from the restaurant wastewater. 

What is a grease interceptor?

A grease interceptor is a large usually underground tank most often located outside your building. The units are constructed of concrete, fiberglass or steel. By nature of their large size, grease interceptors have high capacity for grease and solids storage (about 1,000 to 6,000 gallons). They are commonly called gravity interceptors. Interceptors require retention time and internal baffles to allow fats, oils, grease and food solids to settle in the tank. As wastewater enters the tank the grease floats on the top layer, solids settle to the bottom layer and the middle layer is pushed out of the tank. Maintenance requires quarterly or sometimes more often professional pump removal of grease and solids. 

What is a Grease Trap?

A grease trap is a small plumbing box that is located most often inside your facility near the connected kitchen fixtures. The grease trap relies on internal baffles and pipe arrangement to keep floating grease out of sewer lines. Grease must be removed manually and cleaned out at least monthly. Grease traps treat much smaller grease loads than grease interceptors and therefore, are not appropriate for all applications. For instance, dishwashers cannot be connected to a grease trap.

What is a Hydro mechanical grease Interceptor?

This is the term used for what the City calls grease traps in the Unified Plumbing Code.

What is a power-operated grease removal device?

A power-operated grease removal device operates mechanically — using various electricity powered mechanical mechanisms to automatically separate fats, oils and grease from wastewater by skimming floating grease into a grease storage area. Power-operated grease removal devices have moving parts; they are subject to mechanical breakdowns. Periodic maintenance is critical to keep the power device in good operating condition. Unless you have the right replacement parts and expertise on-site to fix any mechanical failures, it is recommended that you have an ongoing maintenance contract to service your power device. Power-operated devices also treat much smaller grease loads than grease interceptors and therefore, are not appropriate for all applications. For instance, dishwashers cannot be connected to a power-operated grease removal device.

Learn more about Grease Removal Devices.