City of Atlanta Waste Management

About the Grease Management Program

Wastewater discharges containing high concentrations of fats, oils and grease (FOG) from food service establishments such as restaurants, schools, nursing homes, day cares and other similar public facilities contribute to more than half of the blockages or overflows in the city’s wastewater collection system. To effectively address the issue, the city developed a Grease Management Program.

The purpose of the grease management program is to establish uniform permitting, maintenance and monitoring requirements for controlling the discharge of fat, oil, & grease from food service facilities discharging into the city’s wastewater collection system.

Permits

All food service facilities are required to submit a complete permit application, pay permit fees and be available for inspections. The following permit fees are assessed based on the number of grease traps required per facility:

Grease Trap Requirements

Plan Review

The Site Development Division will be responsible for all grease trap plan reviews. For more information on Grease Trap Plan Review please call 404-330-6249.

All food service facilities are required to submit three (3) copies of the following before obtaining a plumbing permit.

1. Site plans — must show boundaries of property
2. Floor plans — must include a list of all equipment in the kitchen, show the equipment connections and the tie in to the main sanitary line.
3. Contact Person for Plans — including a name, email address and telephone number.
4. Specifications of the proposed grease trap

a. Must be depicted at its locations on the plans
b. Grease trap details shall include: company name, model number and a picture showing the cross section of the grease trap.
Note:

i. Facilities with existing grease traps are required to provide as-built drawings of the grease trap
ii. All existing grease traps require field verification prior to plan approval. Please contact The Grease Program @ 404-546-1400 to schedule an inspection

Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Food service establishments can implement no-cost or low-cost BMPs to eliminate fats, oil and grease (FOG) in their wastewater. The following table lists several BMPs and the benefits to Food Service Establishments.