Peoria City Code 25-171 to 25-176: grease interceptor rules, 90-day pumping and enzymes

Section 25-174(a) sets the interval. It says "All grease traps and interceptors shall be pumped out or cleaned out completely at least once every ninety (90) days, or more frequently if, in the opinion of the Director, an increased pumping frequency is warranted." The same subsection adds that the Director may grant a written variance for pumping frequency, but only if the Director finds the variance consistent with the purposes of the chapter.

Here are the parts of that rule:

• Complete removal. Maintenance means removing all contents, "including floating materials wastewater, and bottom sludges and soils." Skimming the top layer does not meet it.
• No decanting. Putting removed waste back into the trap, the interceptor or any part of the wastewater collection system is "strictly prohibited."
• The owner pays. Section 25-174(a) says interceptors are maintained "by the owner, at his or her expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times."
• Records. Section 25-174(b) says "Records shall be kept at the facility for a minimum of three (3) years and be made available to the Director upon request." The records cover cleaning, repair, calibration and maintenance.
• Additives. Under 25-174(b), enzymes, chemicals or bacteria cannot stand in for trap or interceptor maintenance. The Director may allow them as a supplement after a written request that includes safety data sheets for every additive, and emulsifiers are strictly prohibited.

Section 25-171(a) says interceptors "shall be required for laundries, restaurants, service stations, auto repair shops, car washes and other facilities when, in the opinion of the Director," they are necessary to handle grease, oil, flammable waste, sand or anything else the Director thinks could affect the city's treatment system. So the Director decides, not a fixture count.

Sections 25-171(b) and (c) then split interceptors in two:

• Internal interceptors are for facilities with minimal fixtures and minimal retention time. The minimum is a device rated at 50 gallons per minute with 100 pounds of grease capacity, with a flow control device installed upstream.
• External interceptors are for facilities with numerous fixtures. The minimum is a two-compartment container rated at 500 gallons, and the maximum is a three-compartment container rated at 2,500 gallons. They are installed to City of Peoria Standard Detail PE-450 and must include a sample vault.

Section 25-172 says every interceptor must be a type and capacity the Director approves and located so it is readily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Section 25-175 lets the Director require a control manhole, and says control manholes "shall be required for all New Source interceptors."

• Director. The sections read here use the title without defining it. Ask the city which office acts for the Director on your account.
• Pumped out or cleaned out completely. Everything comes out, not just the floating grease. The code ties it to "complete removal of all contents."
• Grease trap versus interceptor. The code uses both words and gives one interval to both. Its size rules separate internal devices (50/100 minimum) from external ones (500 gallons and up).
• New Source. The term is capitalized in Section 25-175 and not explained in the sections read here, so the code's definitions govern.

Any facility where Peoria requires an interceptor, and it is the owner who answers for the maintenance. The code puts the duty on "the owner." A lease may hand the scheduling to the tenant, but that is a lease question between the two of you, and the code text names the owner.

This does not apply if the Director has not required an interceptor at your facility. Section 25-171 turns on the Director's opinion about whether an interceptor is necessary.

Example: a taqueria on a six-month contract. The owner signed a pumping contract copied from a Glendale friend, which says every 180 days. That interval fits Glendale's code. In Peoria it means two missed pump-outs a year. The fix is a 90-day schedule, or a written variance request before the next cycle.

Example: a busy restaurant. The Director can require more frequent pumping than 90 days. If the city tells you the interval is shorter, that notice sets your schedule, not the default.

The edge case, where the answer flips. A new tenant takes over a shell with an interceptor already in the ground, then adds a dishwasher. Section 25-176(a)(1) makes it unlawful to fail to correct an improperly sized or malfunctioning trap or interceptor, and 25-171 puts sizing in the Director's hands. Pumping on time does not cure an undersized unit. The interceptor itself may need to be inspected or repaired.

Peoria's Sec. 18-44 amends IPC 704.1 so that "where the drainage piping is upstream of a grease interceptor, the slope of the piping shall be not less than ¼ inch per foot (2-percent slope)." The same section has a separate exception for building sewers, where the Authority Having Jurisdiction may approve a lesser slope in place of a sewage ejector or pumping station when a registered engineer or architect certifies the design and the owner agrees in writing under notary. Read that exception as written for building sewers. Treat the 2-percent line to an interceptor as the rule when you plan a kitchen remodel.

1. 1Find your last complete pump-out date on the hauler's manifest. If it is more than 90 days old, schedule one now.
2. 2Keep every manifest, cleaning log and repair record in a folder at the facility. The three-year clock runs per record.
3. 3Stop any enzyme or bacteria dosing that stands in for pumping. If you want a supplement, send the Director a written request with safety data sheets for each product.
4. 4If your interceptor is undersized, leaking or has damaged baffles or covers, get it inspected and repaired. Pumping comes first so the unit can be seen, and a separate hauler does that. Section 25-176(a)(3) points corrective installation to the Community Development Department, Building Safety Division.
5. 5For a repair or replacement that needs a permit, use the City of Peoria Development Services Portal at devservices.peoriaaz.gov. The portal says users can view permits and "schedule inspections online."

• Myth: 180 days is the Valley standard. Glendale says 180 and Gilbert says six months. Peoria's code says 90 days.
• Myth: enzymes count as maintenance. Section 25-174(b) says they cannot substitute for it, and emulsifiers are prohibited outright.
• Myth: the tenant handles it, so the owner is off the hook. The code assigns maintenance to the owner.
• Myth: a clean-looking trap passes. The test is complete removal on a schedule, backed by records. A surface skim does not meet it.
• Myth: pumping fixes an undersized interceptor. It does not. Sizing and condition are separate obligations under 25-171 and 25-176.

Section 25-176(b) says "The City shall conduct inspections to ensure compliance with this Section." Section 25-176(c) says fines, penalties and legal action for violations of 25-171 to 25-176 are as provided in Sections 25-161 and 162 of Chapter 25, and that the City Attorney may seek an injunction to prevent or remedy a violation.

The text is on American Legal at the link above, under Chapter 25. This page explains the code and the official text governs.