For a Tacoma food business, managing fats, oils, and grease starts with knowing which wastewater authority serves the property and which requirements apply to its equipment. A generic “Washington cleaning schedule” is not enough to plan a kitchen's maintenance.
Septic Pros provides grease trap cleaning and pumping. Call 877-996-9191 with the business address, device details, and service history to discuss a quote and available service windows.
This guide focuses on Tacoma's published requirements. If your business is outside that wastewater system or uses septic, confirm the rules for that property with the responsible authority.
Know where your wastewater goes
FOG means fats, oils, and grease produced during food preparation. Washington's Department of Ecology identifies FOG buildup as a cause of sewer blockages and sewage spills. Read Ecology's sewage-spill overview.
Check the sewer bill, property records, or landlord's information to identify the wastewater provider. Then ask the provider to confirm the applicable grease-management requirements.
A Tacoma mailing address is a starting point for that conversation, not a substitute for confirming the service connection. If the kitchen uses an on-site septic system, ask the Health Department about the system's approved use and maintenance conditions.
Identify your grease-removal equipment
Find the equipment records and ask the maintenance provider to confirm what is installed. Record the device type, manufacturer, capacity or rating, location, and service access.
Tacoma distinguishes gravity grease interceptors from hydromechanical grease interceptors. Its published guidance also addresses self-cleaning hydromechanical units. That distinction matters when you discuss the required maintenance.
The City's FOG program page links to installation, sizing, maintenance, and recordkeeping resources. Confirm the applicable requirements before buying equipment or changing the kitchen layout.
Follow Tacoma's published maintenance requirements
Tacoma's January 2025 policy clarification states:
- Gravity grease interceptors: cleaning by a licensed vendor at least twice yearly, or when FOG exceeds 25% of a compartment's capacity.
- Hydromechanical grease interceptors: cleaning monthly or as needed based on FOG production.
- Self-cleaning hydromechanical units: cleaning by a licensed pumper every three months.
- Records: document maintenance, submit reports electronically within seven days, and keep hard copies for five years.
These are Tacoma's stated rules, not a universal statewide schedule. Confirm how they apply to your equipment and whether your facility has additional conditions. Source: City of Tacoma FOG Management Policy clarification.
Make recordkeeping part of each service visit
Before the visit, agree on who will document the work and who is responsible for any required submission. Keep the report where the kitchen manager can retrieve it.
A practical service file can include the equipment identification, service date, work completed, observations, provider details, and next planned action. Save any submission confirmation with the service report.
Assign one person to check that the file is complete after each visit. A scheduled appointment and a completed, documented service are different stages of the process.
Reduce grease and food solids at the sink
Staff habits matter between service visits. Tacoma's restaurant guidance recommends collecting waste cooking oil in covered containers for recycling, dry-wiping greasy cookware before washing, and using drain screens to capture food waste. It also recommends keeping maintenance records on site. Source: Tacoma restaurant best management practices.
Turn those practices into a short training routine. Show new staff where the collection containers are, what belongs in them, and who to tell when a lid, screen, or container needs attention. Give the closing shift a named person to contact when something is wrong.
These habits support maintenance. They do not replace the required equipment servicing or reporting.
Recheck requirements when the business changes
Do not assume the previous tenant's arrangement fits a new operation. Before a remodel, menu change, or capacity increase, ask the wastewater authority whether the current equipment and approvals remain suitable.
Tacoma's policy identifies operational and structural changes as possible triggers for new or additional grease-removal equipment. Its examples include more seating and changes to a menu that generates more grease. Use the City's policy linked above to start that discussion.
Bring your equipment information and a clear description of the proposed change. Ask for the decision and required next steps in writing so the owner, designer, landlord, and service provider work from the same information.
Arrange a service plan for your kitchen
Share the address, device type, access details, operating hours, and latest service report when requesting grease trap cleaning and pumping. Septic Pros can discuss recurring service when the property and route are a fit.
Call 877-996-9191 or request service online. We quote each job individually and confirm the available service window.
Guidance checked October 24, 2026 against the linked sources. Confirm current rules and facility-specific conditions with your wastewater authority.