For many small business owners and operators, understanding the exact requirements they need to follow that align with their business type can be confusing. If you’re wondering if you need a grease trap in your cafe or coffee shop, then read on below.
The Purpose of Grease Traps
Grease traps are a critical part of wastewater and plumbing systems. They help to remove unwanted grease, oils, and fats from wastewater before it enters drainage and sewer pipes. These substances can cause blockages and damage to sewer systems, building up over time and costing a lot of money for councils to remove and clean.
As fats and oils are significantly less dense than water, they naturally rise to the top. This is key to how grease traps work, with the trap slowing down the flow of water and allowing fats, oils, and grease to rise to the surface before it enters drains. When in the grease trap, the wastewater will separate into three layers, with solids sinking to the bottom, wastewater sitting in the middle, and grease sitting at the top for collection.
This simple but effective system is important for a range of businesses to have in place. Grease traps help to mitigate the environmental impact of wastewaters, and ensure that food service businesses can effectively manage wastewater on their premises. It is also a critical part of workplace safety and health compliance for a range of businesses.
Find out more about grease traps in our blog: Facts You Should Know About Grease Traps.
What Businesses Need Grease Traps?
Every business that cooks and serves food that generates greasy water is required to have a grease trap to protect sewerage systems. These requirements cover a range of retail food businesses, including cafes and coffee shops, if they cook and prepare food on their premises.
If, for example, your cafe does not cook or serve any food or wash food dishes, you may not be required to have a grease trap. Pre-packaged food such as sandwiches that are not prepared on site and that customers take away may also be exempt from having a grease trap.
These exemptions need to be discussed and approved in writing from your local authority to avoid penalties or the business being shut down until grease trap regulations are complied with. Different Local Water Authority or Councils can have differing requirements in regards to grease traps for businesses, so it is important to check with your local authority. We’ve created a useful list of contact information for local authorities here to assist businesses.
At Citi Industries, we have worked with many cafes and coffee shops and specialise in the food service industry. We have many years of experience and are able to assist with difficult jobs that have limited space and access to get a compliant result and easy operations for the business.
We understand that it can be difficult for businesses owners to know if they need a grease trap in their cafe and what type of grease trap system will ensure they are compliant.
As experts in the field, we can assist with hydraulic design, supply and installation of a grease trap that is both cost-effective, 100% compliant, and will give many years of reliable service.
Watch our video for more information on grease traps:
Choosing the Right Grease Trap
There are many different types of grease traps to choose from, from different manufacturers, a vast range of sizes, and above and below ground options available.
Finding the best grease trap for your cafe or coffee shop will depend on the size of your business and production, the location of your business, the requirements in your local area, and the surrounding plumbing and drainage systems. If you have the space and permits available outside or below your premises, a below ground grease trap is a great option. If you are short on space or cannot excavate on site, then an above ground grease trap is the best option for your business.
When considering the size and capacity you need, it’s important to first check the minimum size of grease traps that are determined by the local authority. These are determined based on the type of equipment used in the kitchen and by the volume of greasy water they generate.
Find out more about choosing the right size grease trap for your business in our blog: How To Size A Grease Trap.
Why Choose Citi Industries
As experts in grease traps for commercial and food service businesses, we can assist at every stage of your project. No matter whether you’re opening a new cafe, upgrading your grease trap system, or repairing broken grease trap lids, we’re here to help. We can take care of the entire project for you and answer any questions about needing a grease trap for your coffee shop.
Talk to our team of specialists or request a free quote today!
1300 002 484
