| Rule | Reno (RMC 12.16) | Sparks (SMC Title 13) | Unincorporated Washoe County (Ord. 1615) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interceptor required | Yes — gravity, outside, 750 gal min, two compartments (12.16.555(b)(4)) | Yes — “exterior, properly-sized” interceptor for any premises where food is served, prepared, packaged or processed (13.36.075); 750 gal minimum (13.30.020(E)) | Yes — “All waste discharged from establishments which may generate grease shall install and maintain a grease interceptor” (§11.7(B)) |
| Indoor traps | Only by variance (12.16.555(b)(5)) | “Prohibited unless approved by the public works director” (13.30.020(E)) | Design, operation and sizing must be approved by the department (§11.7(B)) |
| Sizing | Code formula (UPC Appendix H method) | 2003 UPC Appendix H, Table H-1 (13.30.020(E)) | UPC Chapter 7 and Appendix H (§11.7(B)) |
| Cleaning interval | Per EC permit + 25% rule (12.16.555(b)(6)(ii)a) | Per Environmental Control permit (13.30.020(F)); no fixed interval or 25% rule in code | No fixed interval in the ordinance; “maintained to ensure proper operation” |
| Additives | Prohibited (12.16.555(b)(6)(ii)e) | Prohibited (13.36.072) | Prohibited (§11.7(B)) |
| Grease limit | 300 mg/L (12.16.530(b)(10)) | 300 mg/L (13.36.010(M)) | 300 mg/L (§11.1(M)) |
| Records | Trip ticket every load, 3 years on site | Permit may require records; 3 years for federal-reporting dischargers (13.39.080(C)) | No manifest wording |
| Permit / certificate | EC permit, inspected annually | Environmental Control Permit required for Class II–V (13.39.010); up to 5-year term | Annual wastewater inspection certificate; Class II restaurants inspected every 12 months (§12.1) |
| Spill reporting | EC 24/7 spill line (775) 722-4660 | Notify public works director immediately; written statement within 5 days (13.36.110(A)) | CSD Utility Services (775) 954-4601 |
| Penalty ceiling | $1,000/day/violation civil (12.16.811(b)) | Misdemeanor up to $1,000 and/or 6 months, each day separate (13.42.140) | Same (§13.10) |
Two Sparks specifics
A shared interceptor serving several tenants is the property owner’s to maintain “on the schedule outlined in the environmental control permit” (13.30.020(F)) — strip-mall tenants should know whose name is on that permit. And unpaid EC permit or code-enforcement fees must be settled “as a condition precedent to the issuance or renewal of a business license” (13.39.025(C)).
One Washoe County specific
County Code Chapter 40 has no grease rules; the operative text is the uncodified sewer ordinance, which names the old Department of Water Resources as enforcer — today the Community Services Department’s Utility Services. A tenant-improvement sewer permit carries a $250 plan review fee.
Shared by all three
The Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility, jointly owned by Reno and Sparks and permitted for 44 million gallons a day, treats more than 80% of the two cities’ wastewater. Northern Nevada Public Health permitted roughly 3,950 food establishments in Washoe County in fiscal 2025. That is the population every one of these programs is keeping grease out of.
Any of the three
Tell us the city and the tank. The documentation matches the jurisdiction.
Call (775) 593-8701