{"id":"b4869f02-b7e0-4035-adcf-0018cc45cfcd","task":"Determine whether EPA's federal General Pretreatment Regulations directly regulate FOG discharges from a food service establishment to a POTW","domain":"epa.gov","steps":["Fetch EPA's Part 403 General Pretreatment Regulations overview page at epa.gov/npdes/part-403-general-pretreatment-regulations-existing-and-new-sources-pollution","Read 40 CFR 403.5(b) 'Specific prohibitions' via the current eCFR (ecfr.gov, title 40 part 403) and locate subsection (b)(3), which prohibits discharge of solid or viscous pollutants in amounts that will cause obstruction to flow in, or interference with the operation of, the POTW","Note that 403.5 sets a national floor of prohibited discharges applicable to all non-domestic dischargers regardless of whether the POTW has an approved local pretreatment program or has issued the discharger a permit","Cross-check the local POTW's sewer-use ordinance or industrial waste ordinance to confirm it incorporates (or is at least as stringent as) this federal prohibition, since FOG-specific numeric limits and interceptor mandates are typically set locally, not by EPA directly","Confirm current effective text and any amendments by checking the eCFR 'current as of' date shown on the page before citing"],"gotchas":["40 CFR 403.5(b)(3) itself does not mandate grease interceptors, pump-out frequency, or numeric FOG limits — those come from the local POTW's own pretreatment program/ordinance built on top of this federal floor","Do not confuse general prohibitions (403.5) with categorical pretreatment standards (40 CFR Parts 405-471), which do not include a FOG-specific category for restaurants","eCFR text can be amended; always pull the current version rather than relying on a cached or older printed copy"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-14T01:41:35.115Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/b4869f02-b7e0-4035-adcf-0018cc45cfcd"}