Austin Grease Trap Guide: Replacement, Upkeep, and the City’s New Relief Program

Running a restaurant or commercial kitchen means juggling a lot - food prep, staff, and keeping customers happy. Behind the scenes, one piece of equipment keeps everything flowing: the grease trap.

At Reliant Plumbing, we've seen how much grease traps matter to businesses and communities. When they fail, the result can be health hazards, environmental problems, or even temporary shutdowns. That's why inspection, maintenance, and replacement are so important.

If your business is in Austin, there's good news: Austin Water now pays to install or replace grease traps for qualifying small businesses and charitable feeding organizations. Below, we'll explain how the program works, what it doesn't cover, and what we've learned replacing traps at Round Rock Donuts and Los Palomas in Westlake.

Austin's Grease Trap Relief Program

Since October 1, 2026, Austin Water's Grease Trap Relief Program has covered the full cost of a new or replacement grease trap for approved businesses inside the City of Austin. The City puts the potential savings at $30,000 or more.

Who can apply

• Business owners or property owners, for new or existing locations
• Small, locally owned businesses and charitable feeding organizations get priority, though no facility is ruled out
• If you lease, your property owner signs the application too
• Own more than one location? You can apply for each one

How it works

1. Fill out the online application. You'll need your menu (or a statement of operations), your fats, oils and grease (FOG) practices, plumbing drawings of the kitchen, and two years of pump-out records if you're already open.
2. A selection committee scores each application, and Austin Water may visit the site. If you aren't picked this year, your application carries over to the next one automatically.
3. If you're approved, you provide proof of ownership or a lease and sign an agreement to follow FOG best practices.
4. Austin Water assigns a City-approved contractor to install the trap. Most jobs take 5 to 7 days.
5. Once the trap passes inspection, Austin Water pays the contractor directly.

Every trap installed through the program is a poly or fiberglass model instead of concrete. These use less water, last longer, and are easier to clean. Each one also comes with a monitoring system that watches the trap around the clock and alerts you when it's time for a pump-out. You'll pay a yearly monitoring fee, but the City waives your Wastewater Discharge Permit Fee to offset it.

Questions about your application can go to [email protected].

What the Program Doesn't Cover

The City pays for the trap and the install. After that, the trap belongs to you, and so does the upkeep. Under your agreement with the City and Austin's grease trap rules, you're responsible for:

• Pump-outs at least every 90 days, or sooner once grease and solids fill half the trap. Only a City-permitted liquid waste hauler can pump it.
• Records: keep each pump-out manifest on site for three years.
• Repairs the trap's warranty doesn't cover.
• Daily habits: no food grinders or garbage disposals (banned in Austin commercial kitchens since 2008), no enzyme or bacteria treatments that push grease further down the line, and scrape plates before washing.

Each missed requirement counts as its own code violation, and fines can follow.

A new trap also doesn't clean the lines that feed it. Grease still builds up in kitchen drains between the sinks and the trap, which is why regular restaurant drain cleaning matters even after an upgrade.

Why Do Restaurants Need Grease Traps?

Grease traps have been around since the 1800s, and they serve a simple but vital purpose:

• Prevent sewer blockages by catching fats, oils, and grease before they enter the system.
• Protect city infrastructure from overload and costly damage.
• Safeguard health and safety by keeping waste contained and preventing soil or groundwater contamination.

Without a working grease trap, businesses risk clogs, backups, foul odors, and potential violations from city inspectors. In Austin, every food prep business needs a grease trap approved by Austin Water unless it gets a variance.

Case Study 1: Round Rock Donuts - Timing Is Everything

If you’ve ever driven past Round Rock Donuts, you know the line stretches around the block. Shutting down during peak hours wasn’t an option for them when their grease trap needed replacement.

Our team stepped in with a plan:

• Coordinated to work immediately after closing once cleanup was done.
• Plugged the line and installed a new basin overnight.
• Finished on time - just as the prep crew arrived the next morning.

By working during off-hours, we ensured no disruption to customers and kept the bakery’s operations running smoothly.

Case Study 2: Los Palomas in Westlake - A Broken Trap and a Health Hazard

At Los Palomas, the problem was bigger than a simple clog. Their 500-gallon grease trap had collapsed, with cracks running down the sides and grease leaking into the soil. This wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was a serious health and environmental issue.

Here’s how we solved it:

• Removed the failed grease trap and excavated contaminated soil.
• Brought in clean dirt to restore the site.
• Installed a new 1,000-gallon grease trap to support the restaurant’s growing needs.
• Completed the work quickly so the restaurant could reopen the same day.

This project prevented further contamination and provided the business with a safer, more durable system.

Signs It’s Time to Replace a Grease Trap

A grease trap won’t last forever. Watch for these red flags:

• Frequent backups or slow drains
• Strong odors near the trap
• Cracks, corrosion, or visible leaks
• Overflow during pumping or cleaning
• The trap no longer meets your business’s volume needs

If you spot any of these issues, it’s time to call a licensed plumber for an inspection. If you're inside Austin city limits, check whether you qualify for the Grease Trap Relief Program before paying for a replacement yourself.

Keep Your Grease Trap Working

Restaurants and commercial kitchens can't afford downtime or health code violations. Whether your trap came through the City's program or you're replacing one yourself, Reliant Plumbing can help keep it working. We handle grease trap repairs and grease trap replacement, camera inspections, and restaurant drain cleaning, and we schedule around your hours so you don't lose a service. We've served Austin-area kitchens since 2014, with 24/7 emergency service when something can't wait.