Restaurant Grease Trap Cost Threshold Update

At a glance

• What: a motion presented by Rodriguez (agenda item 13) to update the cost formula in the city's fats, oils and grease ordinance that decides when a restaurant must install a grease trap, and to adjust it periodically with the Consumer Price Index.
• Where it stands: adopted as amended on 2026-10-21, 14 ayes, 0 noes (Hernandez absent). An amending motion by Nazarian, seconded by Rodriguez, is attached to Council File 25-0380.
• Next: implementation by the responsible city departments; the captions do not state a date.

Official action, 2026-10-21 (journal)

The Energy and Environment Committee report on the status of the Fats, Oil and Grease Program (item 13, Council File 25-0380) requests the City Attorney, with the Bureau of Sanitation, to prepare an ordinance amending Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 64.30.C.1(1)(3) to:

• Clarify that all newly constructed food service establishments, and existing non-food-service facilities converting to one, must install a gravity grease interceptor and are not eligible for a conditional waiver unless otherwise exempt.
• Raise the Tenant Improvement valuation threshold that triggers an interceptor for existing food service establishments from 100,000 dollars to 180,000 dollars, with an automatic adjustment every three years starting in 2026 on Council approval and later adjustments beginning July 1, 2029, based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (U.S. City Average, all items, not seasonally adjusted), rounded to the nearest 10,000 dollars.
• Direct the Bureau of Sanitation to run enhanced media and educational outreach as described in its July 7, 2026 report.

Why

• The formula had not been updated in more than 20 years; the captions give a 100,000 dollar investment threshold.
• Rodriguez said fat-caused sewer blockages are down more than 90 percent since the program began and framed the change as relief for struggling restaurants.

Sources

• City Council journal, October 21, 2026: https://lacity.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument?meetingTemplateId=156215&compileOutputType=1
• 2026-10-21 - City Council (video and transcript)
• 2026-10-21 - City Council (Council agenda; the Council File number is not stated in the audio and should be added from the agenda)

Discussion time

About 2 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Log

2026-10-21 - City Council

Journal: adopted as amended, 14 ayes, 0 noes. Threshold rises from 100,000 to 180,000 dollars with a three-year CPI-U adjustment (next July 1, 2029).

• 2026-10-21 - City Council - Rodriguez presented; Nazarian's technical amendment; passed 14 ayes.