Grease interceptor requirements matter most when a food-service facility is being created, remodeled or changed. Routine cleaning is a service decision; determining whether equipment is required, what type is acceptable and how it must be designed is an approval question for the applicable City process.
Grease Interceptor Requirements in Columbus, OH
This page summarizes current Columbus source documents for planning. It is not an engineering design, permit approval or substitute for City review.
Questions to separate before a Columbus interceptor project
Is grease separation required?
Building & Zoning Services determines whether grease separation is required for the food-service facility on behalf of the sewer authority.
What equipment type?
Columbus code permits gravity interceptors, hydromechanical grease interceptors and automatic grease-removal devices where applicable.
How is it sized?
Sizing is based on the approved design process, not a generic gallon chart copied from another restaurant.
How will it be serviced?
Ready access, exposed lids, exterior service space and remote pump-out requirements are part of the current design framework.
What changed at the facility?
New food service, menu changes and alterations/additions/renovations are identified in current City guidance as grease-determination triggers.
Who approves the design?
Required documentation is submitted through the City process; service providers and informational websites do not replace that approval.
When Columbus calls for a grease determination
The current Building & Zoning CIC-01 Grease Interceptors guidance states that a grease determination form is required for a new food-service facility, menu changes at an existing food-service facility, and an alteration, addition or renovation at a food-service facility.
The same document explains that grease interceptors or automatic grease-removal devices are required to receive grease-laden waste from fixtures and equipment in food-preparation areas where the applicable plumbing rules require separation. Facility-specific questions should be directed through the City contact identified in the current guidance.
Equipment options and service access
Permitted device categories
Columbus City Code 1145.04 lists gravity (exterior) grease interceptors, hydromechanical grease interceptors and automatic grease-removal devices as permitted categories when FOG separation is required.
Access is designed in
The same code addresses remote pump-out capability for certain indoor hydromechanical units, exposed/unobstructed service lids and dedicated space for servicing gravity interceptors. Those details affect future cleaning access as well as initial approval.
Existing equipment can need review when operations change
Columbus City Code 1145.04 also addresses changes after installation. When new equipment is added, existing equipment capacity increases or a menu changes in a way that increases grease production, the food-service operation must have a design professional verify that the existing interceptor is adequately sized and submit the documentation through the City process.
For routine maintenance on an existing approved system, use the interceptor pumping guide. For design questions, stay with the City’s current code and professional review.
Related resources
Trap vs. interceptor
Compare equipment categories from a service-planning perspective.
Grease Interceptor Requirements in Columbus, OH FAQs
No. The required device and design depend on the facility, grease-producing fixtures, approved calculations and applicable plumbing/sewer requirements.
Current Columbus CIC-01 guidance states that Building & Zoning Services determines whether grease separation is required for the sewer authority.
No. A service provider can explain service access and maintenance needs, but design approval belongs to the applicable City review process and qualified design professionals.
Yes. Current Columbus guidance specifically lists menu changes at existing food-service facilities as a grease-determination trigger.
Separate design approval from routine service planning
If the question is installation, sizing or a facility change, start with the current City guidance and a qualified design professional. If the approved equipment simply needs service, provide its location, capacity, access and maintenance history in the request.