What the law actually requires. No guessing, no rounding.

Sec. 47-512: the ordinance itself

City of Houston Code of Ordinances Chapter 47, Article XII, Division 9, Section 47-512 governs grease, oil, and sand interceptors for any establishment inside city limits. The core rule sits in subsection (b): every interceptor, which includes grease traps, lint traps, oil and water separators, lift stations, and grit traps, has to be fully evacuated at least once every 90 days.

Full evacuation means bottom to top, not a surface skim. The ordinance also sets a second, earlier trigger: if 25% or more of the wetted height of the device, measured from the bottom of the unit to the invert of the outlet pipe, is floating material, sediment, oil, or grease, the interceptor has to be evacuated immediately, regardless of where you are in the 90-day window. A restaurant can be in violation on day 40 of a 90-day cycle if the trap fills that fast.

A Notice of Waiver process exists for establishments that can document their interceptor doesn't need the full 90-day cadence, but that waiver has to be applied for and approved by the city. It isn't something a service provider can grant, and it isn't automatic just because a kitchen runs low grease volume.

Generator registration

Separate from the pumping cadence, Houston Health Department requires food establishments with an interceptor to carry a Generator Registration on file. That registration identifies your location as a special waste generator and is checked alongside your food permit. It's a paperwork requirement layered on top of the pumping requirement, and inspectors check both.

How a TCEQ manifest actually works

Grease trap and interceptor waste is regulated statewide by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, not just inside Houston. Anyone who collects, transports, and disposes of that waste has to be registered as a sludge transporter under 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 312, Subchapter G, separate from whatever city ordinance applies to your address.

The manifest is the paper trail that follows your waste from your trap to a TCEQ-authorized disposal facility. Three things have to line up on every manifest:

1. Generator information. Your business name and address, showing who the waste came from.
2. Transporter registration. The hauler's TCEQ registration number, confirming they're licensed to move this waste.
3. Disposal facility acceptance. A facility that's authorized by TCEQ to receive grease trap and interceptor waste, and that agrees to accept the specific load.

The transporter, meaning us, carries the responsibility for completing all sections of the manifest that reference the transporter and disposal facility, and for returning the final signed copy. You keep your copy. That's the document that proves, on paper, where your waste went and when. Transporters also have to keep collection and disposal records and file an annual summary report with TCEQ, which is a compliance layer that exists independent of anything Houston requires.

Katy sits in three counties. That matters more than most operators think.

Katy isn't fully inside one county line. The city and its surrounding trade area spread across Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties, and the rules that apply to your kitchen depend on exactly where your address falls, not just what the sign out front says.

The one constant across every one of those lines: TCEQ manifest and transporter registration rules apply statewide, no matter which county or city ordinance sits on top of them. A restaurant in unincorporated Cinco Ranch isn't bound by Sec. 47-512's specific 90-day language, but its waste still has to move on a TCEQ manifest through a registered transporter to an authorized facility, same as a kitchen on Cinco Ranch Blvd inside city limits.

What an inspection actually checks

A city inspector or health department reviewer typically wants three things on file: your Generator Registration, your most recent manifest showing a pump within the required window, and physical confirmation the trap isn't packed past the 25% wetted-height threshold. Missing any one of those three is what turns a routine check into a violation notice.

Full detail on the pumping cadence itself lives on our scheduled pumping page. If you're dealing with an active backup right now, see emergency response.

Compliance questions we get a lot

What happens if I miss the 90-day window?

Technically a violation once the window passes, and worse if the trap's already past the 25% wetted-height threshold. In practice, an inspector who finds a current manifest and a trap in reasonable condition rarely escalates hard. A missed window with no manifest history at all is a different conversation entirely.

Do I need a manifest if my restaurant is outside Houston city limits?

Yes. TCEQ manifest and transporter registration rules apply to grease trap waste statewide, regardless of city limits. Cinco Ranch, Fulshear, and Brookshire locations all need the same manifest trail as a location inside Houston.

Can I apply for a waiver to pump less often?

The City of Houston has a Notice of Waiver process for interceptors that can document a lower-frequency need. It has to be applied for and approved by the city itself, not granted by a pumping company. We can supply the wetted-height history your application would need.

Who keeps the manifest, me or the pumping company?

Both. You get a copy on site the day of the pump. The transporter keeps records and files an annual summary with TCEQ. Keep your copies together, that's what an inspector will ask to see first.

Does a Fort Bend or Waller County address get inspected the same way?

Not by City of Houston inspectors, since Sec. 47-512 is a Houston ordinance. Your county health department or MUD may have its own inspection process, and TCEQ can request manifest records from any registered generator regardless of county.