Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning & Pumping
Keeping your kitchen compliant, your drains flowing, and the environment protected — one pump at a time.
The Basics
What Is A Grease Trap Cleaning?
Grease trap cleaning is the routine removal of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from the traps and interceptors that protect your kitchen’s plumbing and the municipal sewer system. Left unchecked, FOG builds up, causing clogs, foul odors, backups, and costly fines. At Southwaste Disposal, our grease trap cleaning services cover everything a commercial kitchen needs: scheduled pumping, thorough cleaning, repair and replacement, and full compliance documentation. Whether you run a single restaurant or manage kitchens across multiple states, we have the equipment, expertise, and permits to keep you running smoothly and inspection-ready.
The Importance
Why Regular Grease Trap Pumping Matters
Stay Code Compliant
Prevent Costly Backups
Environmentally Responsible
Scheduled & Reliable
Our Process
The Steps To Get A Clean Grease Trap
Assessment & Scheduling
01
We evaluate your grease trap size, kitchen output, and local code requirements to build a customized pumping schedule — weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Pumping & Cleaning
02
Inspection & Reporting
03
Recycling & Disposal
04
what you get
Every Service Includes
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Complete pumping of all three compartments
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Interior wall and baffle scraping
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Gasket and lid seal check
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Inlet and outlet pipe inspection
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Digital service report with before/after photos
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Compliance documentation for health department
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Waste manifest for your records
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24/7 emergency support between scheduled visits
Ready to Schedule Your Grease Trap Service?
One call keeps you compliant, your kitchen running, and the environment protected.
Who We Work With
Industries We Serve
Southwaste provides commercial grease trap services across a wide range of food service and hospitality operations. From single-unit restaurants to multi-location chains, institutional kitchens to hotel banquet facilities — our equipment and expertise scale to any operation.
Restaurants & Fine Dining
From neighborhood bistros to white-tablecloth establishments — discreet, after-hours service that keeps your restaurant kitchen pristine and compliant without disrupting dinner service.
Fast Casual & Quick Service
Hotels & Resorts
Banquet kitchens, room service operations, and poolside grills — we support hotels and resorts and multi-kitchen properties with synchronized scheduling and zero guest disruption.
Hospitals & Healthcare
Universities & School Districts
Grocery Stores & Food Courts
Airport Dining & Commissaries
Stadiums & Entertainment Venues
Event-day surge capacity for the biggest venues — stadiums, convention centers, arenas — with pre- and post-event service calibrated to crowd calendars.
Stay Ahead of Inspectors
Grease Trap Compliance & Regulations
Navigating grease trap regulations doesn’t have to be stressful. Southwaste keeps you ahead of inspectors across every jurisdiction we serve. Here’s what you need to know about the regulatory landscape and how we help you stay compliant.
The 25% Rule
TCEQ & Texas Requirements
Florida DEP Requirements
California SWRCB Requirements
Georgia EPD & Atlanta Watershed Requirements
Illinois EPA & MWRD Requirements
Louisiana DEQ Requirements
Documentation & Record Keeping
Pumping vs. Cleaning
Grease Trap Pumping vs. Grease Trap Cleaning: What’s the Difference?
The two terms get used interchangeably, but they are two halves of the same job. Grease trap pumping is the removal of everything inside the trap: the floating layer of FOG, the wastewater in the middle, and the food solids that settle on the bottom, all vacuumed into our truck. Grease trap cleaning is what happens next: scraping hardened grease off the walls and baffles, rinsing the interior, and inspecting the lid, gaskets, and the inlet and outlet pipes.
Pumping alone leaves a greasy film behind that starts rebuilding right away. Cleaning alone doesn’t remove the volume that is actually filling your trap. That is why every Southwaste visit includes both, followed by a service report you can hand to an inspector.
Warning Signs
Signs Your Grease Trap Needs Cleaning or Pumping
Don’t wait for a backup to find out your trap is full. These are the most common signs it is overdue for grease trap cleaning:
- Slow-draining sinks or floor drains in the kitchen, dish pit, or prep area
- Foul odors coming from drains, the trap, or the area around an outdoor interceptor lid
- Gurgling drains or water backing up into sinks when other fixtures are used
- Visible grease or solids at the inlet or outlet, or grease overflowing the lid
- FOG layer approaching 25% of the trap’s liquid depth when measured
- Fruit flies or drain flies that keep coming back despite regular sanitation
- A warning or violation notice from your health department or wastewater authority
If you are seeing any of these, call us. We offer 24/7 emergency grease trap pumping at (866) 413-9494, and we will set up a scheduled plan afterward so it doesn’t happen again.
Know Your Equipment
Grease Trap vs. Grease Interceptor: What’s the Difference?
Many people use “grease trap” and “grease interceptor” as if they mean the same thing, and in everyday conversation they often do. Both capture fats, oils, and grease before it reaches the sewer. In the field and in plumbing code, though, the two names usually describe different equipment sizes, and the size changes how the unit is installed, serviced, and inspected.
| | Grease Trap | Grease Interceptor |
|---|---|---|
| Size and capacity | Small, typically a few dozen to a couple hundred gallons | Large, typically thousands of gallons |
| Where it is installed | Indoors, usually under or beside a sink, a fixture inside the kitchen, or outdoors. | Usually outdoors and buried, in a parking lot or alongside the building, with manhole access |
| Flow rate | Lower flow. A common rule of thumb is up to about 50 gallons per minute | Higher flow, above about 50 gallons per minute |
| Typically found at | Cafes, bakeries, delis, small restaurants, and low-volume kitchens | High-volume restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, grocery stores, and food courts |
| How it is serviced | Pumped and cleaned on a frequent schedule | Vacuum truck pumping through the manhole, plus baffle and tee inspection |
| Typical service interval | Often every 30 to 90 days, depending on kitchen output | Often every 1 to 3 months, with many jurisdictions setting a minimum such as quarterly |
A Note on Terminology
Plumbing codes often call small indoor units hydromechanical grease interceptors and large buried tanks gravity grease interceptors. Your city may use any of these names on a permit or inspection form. What matters is what is actually installed at your location and what your local FOG ordinance requires for it.
Which One Do You Need?
It isn’t a matter of preference. Your municipality’s plumbing code and FOG ordinance, along with the size of your kitchen, your fixtures, and your peak flow, determine what type and size of device you are required to have. If you are opening a new location, remodeling, or adding fixtures, have a licensed plumber confirm sizing before you buy.
Not sure what you have? A small lid or access panel inside the kitchen is usually a trap. A heavy manhole cover outside the building is usually an interceptor. Our team can identify it on the first visit, tell you whether it appears undersized or damaged, and set the right pumping schedule. Southwaste services both:
- Grease interceptor pumping and cleaning
- Grease trap repair and replacement through our licensed Master Plumber
- Hydro-jetting for the lines that feed and drain your trap
Looking at grit traps or oil-water separators instead? Those handle sand, silt, and petroleum rather than kitchen grease. See our grit trap services. You may also want to read how a grease trap differs from a septic tank.
Service Areas
Our Service Locations
Southwaste operates across twelve states with dedicated teams in each metro area. Click your city for location-specific service details, local compliance info, and contact numbers.
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the most common questions about commercial grease trap service, compliance, and what to expect when you partner with Southwaste.
How often should my grease trap be pumped?
What happens if I fail a health department grease trap inspection?
Do I really need a grease trap service contract, or can I just call when it's full?
What's included in a standard grease trap service visit?
Can Southwaste repair my grease trap?
What happens to the grease after you pump it?
Do you handle multi-location restaurant groups?
How much does grease trap cleaning cost?
Grease trap cleaning and pumping costs depend on the job, not a flat rate. These are the factors that move the price:
- Trap or interceptor size. More gallons to pump and haul means a higher cost per visit.
- How full it is. A trap pumped on schedule is faster and cheaper to service than one that has been neglected for months.
- Access. Lid location, manhole depth, hose distance, and parking all affect time on site.
- Scheduled vs. emergency service. Planned service avoids after-hours and rush call-out costs.
- Number of locations. Restaurant groups with three or more sites can qualify for volume pricing and consolidated billing.
Every visit includes pumping, scraping, inspection, a digital report with photos, and compliance documentation, so there is no surprise paperwork fee at the end. See our pricing and fees page or request a quote and we will price your trap based on its size and your kitchen’s output.
Want to keep service costs down over time? Our grease trap maintenance dos and don’ts cover the kitchen habits that slow FOG buildup between visits.
What is the difference between a grease trap and a grease interceptor?
Both capture fats, oils, and grease before they reach the sewer. A grease trap is a smaller unit, usually installed indoors near the sink, that handles lower flow and needs frequent pumping. A grease interceptor is a much larger tank, usually buried outside, built for high-volume kitchens. The two names are often used interchangeably, so check which one your city’s plumbing code and FOG ordinance require for your location. We service both.
Can I clean my grease trap myself?
Staff can sometimes skim a small indoor trap between service visits, but that does not replace professional pumping. Most jurisdictions require grease trap waste to be removed and disposed of by a licensed hauler, with a manifest for your records, and large interceptors can only be serviced with a vacuum truck. DIY cleaning also tends to miss the solids on the bottom, which is where much of the buildup collects.
How do I know when my grease trap is full?
The standard benchmark is the 25% rule: once FOG and solids make up a quarter of the trap’s liquid depth, it needs to be pumped. Warning signs include slow drains, foul odors, gurgling, and grease visible at the lid. We measure your accumulation rate at the first visit and schedule service before you reach that threshold.
Still have questions?
Our team is happy to walk you through anything — pricing, scheduling, compliance requirements, or technical details.
Complete Your Wastewater Solution
Related Services
Southwaste offers a full suite of commercial wastewater and plumbing services to keep your facility running smoothly, compliant, and environmentally responsible.