| Stage | What you notice | What the code says |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 3–8 | Nothing. The tank is filling toward 25% of design depth. | Cleaning is required at 25% regardless of the permit calendar (12.16.555(b)(6)(ii)a). |
| Weeks 8–16 | Smell in the dish pit; a slow three-compartment sink on busy nights. | Grease now passes the outlet. Your discharge is heading past 300 mg/L (12.16.530(b)(10)). |
| Inspection | An EC inspector, with or without notice, lifts the lid. | 12.16.555(a)(5)(i). Finding: tank over 25%, no trip tickets. |
| Notice | Notice of violation or administrative citation. | 12.16.810. |
| City action | The city has the tank pumped and sends you the bill. | Maintenance may be performed on your behalf and “billed directly to the tenant/owner” ((ii)d). |
| Penalty | Civil penalties accrue per day. | “Not to exceed $1,000.00 per day per violation” (12.16.811(b)). The violation is “declared a public nuisance” (12.16.813). |
| Downstream | A blockage in the city main is traced to your lateral. | Cleaning and repair charged to you (12.16.814). |
| End state | Compliance order, cease-and-desist, suspension of service. | 12.16.810. |
Where the money goes
A scheduled pump-out costs what a scheduled pump-out costs. The same tank pumped by the city on an order costs the pump-out plus the citation plus the day-rate penalty plus the inspection that follows. Nobody saves money by skipping the service; they move it into a worse column.
The way out at any stage
Pump it, fully, by a licensed contractor, with a trip ticket; then set the interval from the reading. Every rung on the ladder stops at the first one that has a receipt in the file.
Plain-English guidance, not legal advice. Reno quotations are from Reno Municipal
Code Title 12, Ch. 12.16, Art. III (Municode version dated Sep 21, 2026, read 2026-10-08), chiefly
Sec. 12.16.555(b), and from City of Reno Environmental Control handouts. Sparks quotations are from
Sparks Municipal Code Title 13; Washoe County from Ordinance No. 1615. Confirm current requirements
with Reno Environmental Control, (775) 334-4230.