Grease trap FAQ for Gulf Coast kitchens

FOG stands for fats, oils, and grease: the cooking oil, butter, meat fat, sauces, and dairy that go down kitchen drains. FOG cools and hardens in pipes and sewers, causing blockages and overflows. Grease traps and interceptors capture FOG before it reaches the public sewer.

It depends on the trap size and how much grease your kitchen produces. Small indoor traps at busy kitchens may need service weekly to monthly; larger outdoor interceptors are often pumped every one to three months. Your local sewer authority may also set a required interval (see the compliance question below), and your trap should be serviced before it reaches the 25% rule.

The 25% rule is a widely used guideline: a grease trap should be pumped before the floating grease layer plus the settled solids take up about 25% of the trap's total liquid depth. Past that point the trap loses efficiency and grease can pass through into the sewer. Many local programs use this guideline; check your own permit for the exact requirement.

"Grease trap" usually means a smaller unit installed indoors, often under a sink or in the floor near the kitchen. A "grease interceptor" is a larger tank, usually installed outdoors and in-ground, holding hundreds to thousands of gallons and serviced by a vacuum truck. Many people use the terms interchangeably.

Rules depend on which city or utility handles your sewer service, so confirm with your own sewer provider. As one example, the Harrison County Utility Authority (HCUA) grease trap regulation requires grease generators in participating jurisdictions to obtain an HCUA grease trap permit and to clean or pump their traps as often as needed to stay in compliance with sewer use rules. A generator that has not cleaned its trap during a 90-day period (without an approved exception) can be subject to inspection and testing, with costs and penalties if a violation is found. HCUA also publishes a list of permitted septage and grease haulers. Businesses in Jackson County (e.g. Ocean Springs, Gautier, Pascagoula) and Hancock County (e.g. Bay St. Louis) should check with their local utility.

Sources: HCUA Grease Trap Regulations (PDF); HCUA Grease Permits page

No. Biloxi Grease Trap is an independent quote-matching and referral service. We share your request with independent local providers, and they quote and perform the work directly. We may receive compensation from providers for referrals.

No. Requesting quotes through this site is free and there is no obligation to hire anyone.

Ask whether they are permitted to haul grease waste in your county, whether they provide a service record or manifest for each pump-out, whether pricing is per visit or per gallon, what is included (full pump-out, scraping, inspection), and how quickly they respond to emergencies.

We review your request and share it with one or more local providers that serve your area. They contact you directly by phone or email with pricing and availability.