Mobile Food Vendors Wastewater Disposal

A clean food service environment is good for your business and the community. Wastewater from your mobile food operation must be disposed of properly to avoid clogging sewer lines or polluting the environment. Even on the go, you can take steps to protect the environment and avoid fines.

Required Practices

• Collect all wastewater from utensil washing in a screen-covered container.
• Discharge utensil washing wastewater to a drain connected to an adequately sized and regularly cleaned grease trap at your permitted commissary kitchen. The commissary kitchen must hold all required health permits, a valid Austin Water wastewater discharge permit and an Austin Water-approved grease trap for mobile food vendor waste.
• If your commissary kitchen does not have a valid wastewater discharge permit or approved grease trap, use a liquid waste hauler permitted to operate in the City of Austin. When using a hauler:
• Mark the waste type as "Food Service Grease Interceptor (or Trap)" on the manifest.
• Confirm the wastewater will be taken to a facility permitted to accept food service waste.
• Keep your copy of the liquid waste hauler manifest for at least three years.
• Collect used cooking grease in a closed container.
• Contract with a waste grease recycling service or permitted recycling or disposal facility for the collection, recycling or disposal of used cooking grease.
   

Prohibited Practices

• Do not dispose of any wastewater on the ground or in any storm drain.
• Do not dispose of utensil washing wastewater down toilets — toilets are not connected to grease traps.
• Do not dispose of wastewater at a car wash or any location not authorized to receive hauled liquid waste or not designated as your permitted commissary kitchen.
• Do not dispose of utensil washing wastewater down any drain unless you have verified with the commissary kitchen's owner or manager that the drain leads to an Austin Water-approved grease trap.
• Do not dispose of used cooking grease down any drain, even one connected to a grease trap. This waste must be recycled or disposed of at a facility permitted to accept it.

Disregarding any of these requirements violates the Austin City Code. Each violation carries a maximum penalty of $2,000 per violation per day.

For more information, see Austin Public Health's Mobile Food Vendors page.