Commercial kitchens in NZ are fitted with grease traps, which “trap” the “grease” and solid food waste that comes from the sink and dishwashers, allowing wastewater through but not the waste that we don’t want in our sewer systems.
Before grease trap cleaning 
After grease trap cleaning
But a grease trap and interceptor isn’t a set and forget appliance — it needs regular maintenance to keep it working well. Here’s why…
1. It can STINK!
Cleaning out a grease trap is up there with one of the stinkiest jobs at HydroVac – and considering what we do (septic tanks and the like), that’s saying something! If you don’t clean your trap out regularly, that rotting stench can start seeping out into your eatery. Let us tell you — that smell is not good for your customers or for your reputation!
2. It will go from bad to worse
If you leave your tank uncleaned, the waste in there will become a thick, hard mass — so hard that it’s that’s near impossible to remove!
3. It will start to overflow
If your tank isn’t cleaned on a regular basis, the waste will pile up, causing the sold food waste from the kitchen seak and dishwasher to flow down the sewer system. Before long, you’ll have blockages in the pipeline which can cause overflow. Cue: expensive call-outs and a non-working kitchen!
4. There could be fines involved
The council is hot on this. It’s illegal to discharge food waste, fats and grease into stormwater system and waterways. You can be fined up to $1000, issued abatement notices, or prosecuted and fined up to $600,000 for breaching the Resource Management Act. Empty your grease trap regularly and this won’t be something that keeps you up at night!
5. It’s not good for business
If you end up having grease trap issues due to not maintaining it well, it could be costly for your business. We’ve seen restaurants have to close while they sort out their grease trap issues, missing out on takings and losing business to competitors.
Book in with HydroVac for a regular grease trap clean and you won’t have to worry about any of those 5 issues we’ve shared. If you want, we can put you on a regular maintenance schedule so you don’t even have to think about it! Contact our friendly team on 0800 493 768