Austin Water has launched a program that covers the full cost of a new or replacement grease trap for qualifying food businesses, including installation. For most participants, that’s a potential savings of $30,000 or more.
If you’ve ever opened a restaurant in Austin, you know the grease trap is one of the most expensive and least glamorous lines in the budget. It’s also one of the most common reasons a small food business’ numbers stop working. The Grease Trap Relief Program is the city’s attempt to fix that, and it’s open now.
What the Program Covers
The city pays for the grease trap equipment and its installation or replacement. Austin Water coordinates the work with a City-approved contractor and pays them directly once the work passes inspection. Most installations take five to seven days, though each situation is different.
Every trap installed through the program is a poly/fiberglass model rather than traditional concrete. They use less water, last longer, and are easier to clean. Each one also comes with a 24/7 monitoring system that alerts you when a pump-out is due and confirms your hauler actually did the job.
Who Can Apply
Both new and existing businesses can apply, along with Charitable Feeding Organizations. The application can come from the business owner or the property owner; if those are two different people, the property owner has to sign too.
No one is excluded, but the program is built primarily for small, locally owned businesses and Charitable Feeding Organizations.
What You’ll Need
A current menu, or a signed statement of operations if you don’t have one yet
Your planned or current grease management practices
Scalable drawings showing plumbing fixtures, kitchen equipment, and waste lines
Liquid waste hauler records of grease trap cleaning for the past two years (or since opening, if less), if you’re already operating
Any existing Austin Water Industrial Waste approval letters for the business
The drawings are where most applications will slow down. If you need a set, we can point you to design professionals who do this work.
What to Keep in Mind
Approval isn’t automatic. Applications are scored by a selection committee, and a site visit may be required. Applications that aren’t picked in a given year roll over to the next one automatically.
The city covers the install; you own everything after that. Approved businesses sign an agreement committing to proper grease management and accepting future maintenance and repair costs. There’s also an annual monitoring fee, though the city largely offsets it by waiving the yearly wastewater discharge permit fee.
If you’re planning a build-out, apply early, but don’t build your schedule around approval. The program doesn’t publish a selection timeline, and your permit and construction calendar shouldn’t depend on it.
A Few Questions We Expect to Hear
Do I even need a grease trap? Maybe not. Starting October 1, 2026, Austin Water uses a new risk-based system to decide who qualifies for a variance. Some businesses that used to need a trap may no longer need one, and some existing traps may not need replacing. That exemption depends on following good grease practices; if your business causes a sewer overflow by not following them, the exemption is revoked and you’ll have to install a trap at your own expense.
Can I apply for more than one location? Yes. Each location gets its own application, and approval at one doesn’t affect your eligibility at another.
Is this a one-time program? The city expects it to run indefinitely and has set aside funding for future years.
If you’re opening a restaurant in Austin, or replacing a failing trap at an existing one, reach out. We’ll help you figure out whether you need a trap at all, and if you do, how this program fits into your permit timeline.
Sources: City of Austin Grease Trap Relief Program and Austin Development Services, Building Connections blog, current as of November 13, 2026.
