Fats, Oils, and Grease Program

Any commercial facility that will cook, prepare, or serve food is required to install and maintain properly sized grease control equipment. Once a facility submits a permit application, KUB determines the type and size of grease control equipment required for the facility.

Submit a free permit application using one of the buttons below:

Facility within a Building

Mobile Food Unit

Food service facilities with any type of automated dishwashing equipment such as a dishwasher, sanitizer, or glass washer are required to install a gravity grease interceptor. This is because hot soapy water can dissolve fats, oils, and grease (FOG) which can pass through smaller grease traps. A gravity grease interceptor allows the grease laden wastewater to cool so the fats, oils, and grease can separate from the wastewater.

A gravity grease interceptor is required at any food service facility with automated dishwashing equipment.

Grease interceptors (also called gravity grease interceptors) are special tanks with separate chambers that use gravity and time to separate fats, oils, and grease from wastewater. They typically hold 1,500 or 2,000 gallons of wastewater.

Grease interceptors must be safely and easily accessible.  They must match KUB’s Grease Interceptor Standard and Specifications. In addition, there must be at least eleven feet (11') of clearance above each manhole access.

Grease traps (also called hydromechanical grease traps) are typically box-shaped devices that use hydromechanics along with a flow control device to separate and hold fats, oils, and grease. They typically hold 20 to 100 gallons of wastewater.

Grease traps may be installed sitting on the floor. If it is installed in the floor, the trap’s top must be flush with or above the floor. It should be accessible without having to enter a crawlspace or unfinished basement. Grease traps must have unobstructed space above them greater than or equal to the depth of the trap and may not use automated self-cleaning equipment or mechanisms. They must follow KUB's Grease Trap Standard and Specifications.

A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is when untreated wastewater is discharged from the sewer system out of an opening such as a manhole onto the ground or into the environment. Grease related blockages in sewer mains are a primary cause of overflows. Overflows are a public health concern and a potential environmental threat. 

Fats, oils, and grease can enter the sewer system from washing dishes and through floor drains. Over time, grease builds up in sewer pipes and eventually causes a blockage. These blockages can cause a variety of problems like sewage backups in buildings, rancid odors, and overflows.

Since commercial food service facilities produce the highest amounts of fats, oils, and grease, they are required to manage and capture the fats, oils, and grease they produce. Commercial food service facilities agree to install and maintain adequately sized grease control equipment as part of their wastewater service agreement.

KUB continually educates commercial and residential customers on the problems fats, oils, and grease cause within the sewer system, how they can lessen the amount of grease they discharge to the sewer, and how to properly dispose of their fats, oils, and grease. Additionally, KUB cleans hundreds of miles of sewer mains to remove buildup and help prevent blockage related overflows.

KUB’s Can-the-Grease Program aims to educate residential customers on how to properly dispose of fats, oils, and grease produced at home. This will help prevent fats, oils, and grease buildup up in their home’s plumbing and KUB’s sewer system.