A Sarina coffee house needed its underground plumbing in the ground before the framing went up around it. The hydraulic plan called for a 2000-litre below ground grease trap, plus a new sewer line for the amenities toilet block. Nothing above ground existed yet to work around, and nothing below ground could wait.
The builder brought in Citi Industries to run the job as a do and charge scope. The crew worked to the plan, closed off what could be closed off, and left the rest staged for the trades coming in behind them.
Project Overview
This job paired a 2000-litre Halgan below ground grease trap with a new trade waste line, a new sewer connection for the amenities, and five bucket traps for floor waste. The sequencing mattered more than the individual tasks. Every underground run had to be right the first time, since digging back through a finished slab later was not an option.
The crew set the tank with a Class D lid, ran trade waste to each fixture per plan, laid the new sewer line, and tied back into the existing sewer where the plan allowed.
Scope at a glance:
- Â Install 1 x 2000 Litre Halgan Below Ground Grease Trap, Class D (Traffic Lids)
- Site setout and coordination for scanning and concrete cutting (cost by others)
- Install materials for plumbing work only: pipe and fittings
- Vents to be run to atmosphere for both the tank and the new trade waste line (above ground to atmosphere by others when walls are built)
- New trade waste line to run inside tenancy and connect all fixtures as per plan
- New sewer line to be installed for new amenities toilet block, and reconnect to existing sewer where possible as per plan
- Install 5 x bucket traps for floor wastes
Challenges
A coffee house sends fats, milk solids, and food waste into its wastewater every service. Left alone, that load builds up inside sewer pipes and hardens over time. Mackay Regional Council trade waste approvals require a sized grease trap on the discharge line before a food business can connect.
The site added its own pressure on top of that. Concrete scanning and cutting sat with a separate trade, so the plumbing crew worked to someone else’s setout rather than their own. With no walls up yet, the crew couldn’t finish the venting above ground, so they terminated those runs cleanly and left them ready. Getting anything wrong underground meant breaking back through a slab that had already been poured.
Key constraints on this project:
- Concrete scanning and cutting sat with a separate trade, requiring close coordination on setout
- Vent runs had to be terminated ready for completion once the walls were up
- 2000-litre tank footprint and Class D lid needed a larger slab cut than a standard commercial tank
- New sewer line had to tie into the existing sewer per the hydraulic plan
- Every underground element needed to be correct before the shell closed over it
Solutions
Citi Industries worked the job in a set order, since each stage depended on the one before it.
Setting the 2000L Halgan Tank
The crew coordinated setout with the concrete cutters and checked the tank position against the hydraulic plan before anything else moved. Once the slab was cut and cleared, excavation went to depth for the Halgan unit. A below ground grease trap is a buried chamber that intercepts fats and food solids on their way to the sewer, holding them back so cleaner water passes through.
The 2000-litre tank went in with its Class D lid, rated to carry vehicle loads across the top. That rating meant the tank didn’t limit how the rear of the site could be used once it opened. Once bedded and level, the ground around it was prepared for reinstatement.
Trade Waste Line and Bucket Traps
With the tank set, the crew ran the new trade waste line through the tenancy. Trade waste is the wastewater a business generates beyond normal household use, and it has to pass through the grease trap before it reaches the sewer. This class of work sits under Queensland’s regulated plumbing work requirements, which restrict it to a licensed plumber.
The line picked up every fixture called for in the plan. Five bucket traps went in on the floor waste points across the tenancy, sitting beneath the grates to catch solids before they hit the drainage line. That takes pressure off the grease trap between pump-outs and keeps the trade waste line clearer for longer.
Venting for Completion Once the Walls Were Up
The crew vented both the tank and the trade waste line. They took the underground runs up and left them ready for the above-ground sections once the walls went up. Venting stops trapped gas building pressure and pushing odour back into the tenancy. Because the shell was still open, this staging was part of the scope from day one rather than a workaround.
New Sewer Line for the Amenities
The scope also called for a fresh sewer line to the new amenities toilet block. Rather than force new fixtures onto a section of the existing sewer that couldn’t take them, the crew ran a new line and tied back into the existing sewer where the plan allowed for it.
Final Outcome
The crew took the underground scope from bare ground to a plumbing system ready for the walls to close around it. Citi Industries left the site with the grease trap seated, the trade waste line laid, the amenities sewer in the ground, and the bucket traps working. The builder kept framing without waiting on plumbing that would otherwise have needed the slab reopened.
- 2000-litre Halgan tank seated with a Class D lid, positioned per the surveyed plan
- Trade waste line run to every fixture through the grease trap
- New sewer line commissioned for the amenities and tied back into the existing sewer
- Five bucket traps reducing solids reaching the grease trap
- Vents roughed in and staged for completion once the walls went up
Book a Trade Waste Site Assessment
So whether you are opening a new coffee house or fitting out an existing tenancy, talk to the team. We can book a trade waste site assessment and hand over the paperwork that keeps the council happy.
Call Citi Industries on 1300 002 484 to discuss your project.
1300 002 484
