Commercial waste information for food business owners
What is commercial waste?
Food preparation and cooking, as well as the cleaning
of the areas in which these tasks are performed,
generates commercial waste (also known as greasy
waste) which is discharged into the sewerage system.
Commercial waste can cause sewer blockages if not
managed properly.
How do I obtain a trade waste consent?
A trade waste consent outlines the conditions for discharging greasy
waste into our sewerage system including installing and maintaining
an appropriately sized grease trap.
If your business falls into one of the following
commercial waste categories, you are legally required
to hold a trade waste consent with City West Water
under the Water Act 1989:
To apply for a trade waste consent, go to citywestwater.com.au to
complete and submit an “Application for Trade Waste Consent
(food business) to City West Water”.
Upon acceptance of your application, City West Water will issue a
Commercial Waste Consent (usually a fixed 10 year term).
Do I need to install a grease trap?
Businesses that produce commercial waste are usually required to
install and maintain an adequately sized grease trap in accordance
with City West Water requirements.
The purpose to the grease trap is to trap fats, oils and grease as well
as food particles. By having a well maintained grease trap the risk of
your waste blocking sewer pipes is reduced.
Kitchen fixtures including floor drains, kitchen sinks, dishwashers,
cleaner’s sinks and bin wash areas must be connected to the
grease trap.
Installing your grease trap
•Bakeries
Grease traps must be installed either above or below ground.
• Butchers and delicatessens
Grease traps must be installed by a licensed plumber in a location
that provides access for regular maintenance.
• Restaurants, cafeterias and canteens
•Schools
•Cafes
• Function centres
•Supermarkets
• Fast food and takeaway shops
•Caterers
• Ice cream shops
• Commercial kitchens.
Where access is limited, remote suction lines are acceptable,
however they must not be connected directly to the grease trap.
Prior to the installation of a grease trap, a City West Water plumbing
application must be completed for approval to connect to City
West Water’s sewer.
Refer to City West Water’s website for standard trade waste
drawings of grease traps.
What size grease trap does your business need?
The size of a grease trap is generally based on a maximum flow rate measured in litres per hour. Alternatively, it can be determined using
one of two methods (the method which recommends the larger size grease trap should be applied):
Method 1
Method 2
Add the grease trap allowance for each fixture in litres
If your business has seated dining, use the number of seats to
determine the appropriate grease trap size
Plumbing & kitchen fixtures
Grease trap allowance per
fixture (in litres)
Seated dining capacity
(persons)
Grease trap size required
(in litres)
Single bowl sink
100
0–39
600
Double bowl sink
150
40–69
1,100
Pot sink (deep bowl)
150
70–199
2,000
Floor waste
50
200–499
3,000
Bain-marie
50
500–799
4,000
Wok Table
• Waterless
• Continuous
100 per burner
200 per burner
800–999
5,000
Bin Wash Area
50
Cleaners Sink
50
Dishwasher
• Domestic
• Commercial
200
500
Dishwasher (tunnel)
Size to be advised by
City West Water
Hand basin
50
Pasta Cooker
150
Steam Combi Oven
600
Gas vat / hotplate barbeque
600 per barbeque
Maintaining your grease trap
Grease traps become less effective as grease, oil and sludge
accumulate in them. Grease traps require regular cleaning to
prevent blockages, odour problems and health hazards.
Your trade waste consent will outline the maintenance
requirements for your grease trap. It is your responsibility to ensure
the grease trap is maintained. You will need to contact an EPA
licensed waste collector to remove the contents of the grease trap.
Unique barcoded labels have been assigned to every grease trap
in City West Water’s service area (see right). When the EPA licensed
waste collector empties the contents of the grease trap, they will
scan the barcode. The scanned information enables City West
Water to ensure the maintenance requirements of you trade waste
consent have been met.
You can find tips to improve the efficiency of your grease trap at
citywestwater.com.au/business/commercial_food.aspx. If your
grease trap does not have a barcode, please contact
City West Water on 131 691.
Other important information
Minimum size grease trap for
fast food chain outlets
2000 litres
Maximum allowable size of any
grease trap
5000 litres
THIS INFORMATION IS A GUIDE ONLY: Contact City West Water
on 131 691 for assistance if required.
Does your business
require the services
of a waste collector?
A list of EPA Victoria
licensed waste
collectors is available
as an FAQ question
in the Trade Waste
section of the City
West Water website
(see link at left).