Grease Trap Regulations in Australia: What You Need to Know

Short answer: if you run a commercial kitchen, you need an approved grease trap, a trade waste agreement, regular servicing by a licensed operator, and records to prove it. The detail varies by council and water authority, but the core obligations are the same nationwide. Here is what you have to get right.

You need a trade waste agreement

Any business discharging wastewater with grease or food waste must install and maintain an approved grease trap under trade waste legislation. You apply for a trade waste agreement before you discharge to the sewer. In Sydney, for example, you apply through Sydney Water for approval to discharge trade wastewater. That agreement is the document that sets your obligations.

Who enforces the rules

Two bodies sit over you.

Water authorities

Your water authority sets the standards and monitors compliance. That is Sydney Water, Queensland Urban Utilities, SA Water and the like, depending on where you are. They set discharge limits and your servicing frequency.

Councils

Local councils enforce and monitor trade waste rules, and many set their own requirements for trap capacity, maintenance frequency and reporting. You check both your council and your water authority, not just one.

Servicing and record-keeping

Your trap has to be serviced on the schedule your agreement sets, usually every one to three months or at 25% capacity, by a licensed operator. You also keep service records. Mandatory servicing logs are part of compliance, and inspectors will ask for them.

What you cannot do

The rules also list what is off limits. You cannot tip grease trap waste down the drain or dispose of it yourself. You cannot dose the trap with enzymes, solvents or bacteria to dodge a clean, and you cannot pour waste oil into the sink. Disposal must go through a licensed transporter to an approved facility.

Penalties for non-compliance

Miss your servicing, lose your records, or breach your discharge limits, and you face fines and enforcement from your water authority and council. In serious cases that includes a forced closure until you are compliant. The penalties are designed to be more expensive than just doing the servicing.

The bottom line

Get an approved trap, hold a current trade waste agreement, service on schedule with a licensed operator, keep your records, and never dispose of the waste yourself. Check both your council and your water authority, because the specifics differ by area.

Need a licensed operator who knows your area's rules? Compare quotes near you. Related: can I clean it myself and where the waste goes.