Fats, Oils & Grease Ordinance

On August 17, 2017, the City of Abilene passed a new fats, oil, and grease (FOG) ordinance for all foodservice businesses. The ordinance was created to address the ongoing problem the City is having with grease in its sewer system.

In November of 2021, the City of Abilene amended the FOG ordinance with Ordinance 063-2021, adding additional information and requirements for compliance.

Uniform Requirements

In order to protect public health, the sanitary sewer system, and the environment, this ordinance sets forth uniform requirements. The foodservice industry must follow these guidelines for fats, oils, and grease (FOG). This further includes grease trap waste transporters operating in the City of Abilene. It also enables the City to comply with all applicable State and Federal laws, including the Clean Water Act (33 United States Code Section 1251 et seq.).

Steps for Compliance

To comply, determine what type of grease trap you have. Large grease traps must be pumped every 90 days or more often if necessary. Small grease traps must be pumped every 30 days or more often if necessary. If you're already cleaning within these frequencies, keep doing what you're doing. 

If you are cleaning less often, then you need to start cleaning within these frequencies. After two cleaning cycles at these frequencies, if your grease trap is not meeting the 25% rule, you may request an extension to the cleaning frequency. The 25% rule is generally met when the grease layer is 5 to 6 inches thick for large traps and 2 inches thick for small grease traps. Documentation of the depth of the grease layer for each of the two cleanings must be provided with your request. There is also an optional section on the request form if you would like to include cleaning recommendations from your transporter.

The ordinance also requires that businesses keep a copy of the manifest from each cleaning on-site for five years. If your business sends the manifests to another location, like a corporate office, be sure to keep a copy for your site. For more information, please contact the City of Abilene FOG Program by calling 325-437-4505.