Sewer design and construction specifications.
Columbus City Codes § 1145.04
in effect1145.04 - Sewer design and construction specifications.
All new sewers, appurtenances and connections to the sanitary or storm conveyance systems or to the POTW must be properly designed and constructed in accordance with the City of Columbus Construction and Materials Specifications, Director's regulations including the Stormwater Drainage Manual and Columbus City Codes, Chapters 1131 through 1143 inclusive.
(A) Whenever required by the Ohio Plumbing Code or the Division of Water Reclamation, the user of any property serviced by a sewer carrying non-residential wastewater shall install separators, as necessary, for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease, sand, oil or any other materials that may violate the provisions of this chapter. The design of any required separator shall be submitted for review and approval by the Director prior to installation.
(B) Whenever fats, oils, and grease separation is required, the applicant shall provide all necessary documents to Building and Zoning Services for plan approval. Gravity (exterior) grease interceptors, hydromechanical grease interceptors and automatic grease removal devices are permitted.
(1) Hydromechanical grease interceptors, when located indoors, shall be provided with remote pump-out capability that includes a dedicated space for the service provider to access the service port on the exterior of the building.
(2) To ensure easy access for proper servicing of grease interceptors, all service lids shall be exposed and free of any obstructions, and shall meet the definition of "Ready Access" as defined in Chapter 2 of the Ohio Plumbing Code.
(3) Gravity grease interceptors must be located outdoors with a dedicated space for the related service equipment. All related service equipment shall be located as close as possible (within 6') of the interceptor.
(C) Unless otherwise specified in the Ohio Plumbing Code, the minimum fats oils and grease storage capacity for all grease interceptors, shall be based on the grease production value per meal for the particular type of FSO and national averages for meals served per hour, or per event, for such FSOs.
(1) All calculations shall be included in the design submitted to the City of Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services for approval, and shall include the designed service interval.
(2) The designed service interval shall not exceed 30 days between services for concrete gravity units or 90 days between services for units constructed of materials resistant to degradation associated to the pH levels in the effluent or the hydrogen sulfide gas byproducts.
(3) The designed service interval shall also be reported to DWR and will be used to determine the FSO compliance with the design during any subsequent inspections by DWR, Columbus Public Health, or Building and Zoning Services.
(4) When adding new equipment, increasing the capacity of existing equipment, or changing a menu, the FSO must have a design professional verify that any existing grease interceptor is adequately sized to accommodate the new grease production volume. All documentation shall be submitted to City of Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services and the Division of Water Reclamation Pretreatment Office.
Any required grease interceptors or grease removal device shall serve only one food service operation.
(Ord. No. 1327-2012, § 1, 7-23-2012, eff. 10-1-2012; Ord. No. 2553-2020, § 1, 2-8-2021; Ord. No. 2837-2024, § 2, 11-25-2024; Ord. No. 1682-2025, §§ 3, 4, 6-30-2025)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT11WASEELCO_CH1145SEUSRE_1145.00--1145.08GEPR_1145.04SEDECOSPFetched: 10/27/2026