Calgary Grease Trap Bylaw: What Every Restaurant Owner Needs to Know

What Is the Calgary Grease Trap Bylaw?

The City of Calgary regulates grease trap use and maintenance under Wastewater Bylaw 14M2012, which references the Canadian Standards Association document B481. The bylaw applies to all industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities where food is cooked, processed, or prepared — there is no minimum size threshold. If your kitchen produces fats, oils, or grease (FOG), you are required to have a properly installed and maintained grease interceptor.

The purpose of the bylaw is to prevent FOG from entering the city's wastewater system, where it solidifies in pipes and causes blockages, backups, and expensive infrastructure damage. When businesses fail to maintain their grease traps, the cost ultimately falls on taxpayers — which is why the City takes enforcement seriously.

Who Does the Bylaw Apply To?

If your business cooks, prepares, or processes food, you almost certainly need a grease interceptor. Common examples include:

• Restaurants, cafés, and fast food outlets
• Hotel and banquet hall kitchens
• Hospital and care facility cafeterias
• School and university cafeterias
• Grocery stores with delis, bakeries, or meat counters
• Food production and processing facilities
• Arenas, stadiums, and event venues with food service

If you are unsure whether your operation requires a grease trap, contact the City of Calgary Water Services directly — or call us and we can advise you based on your kitchen setup.

How Often Must Grease Traps Be Cleaned?

Under Bylaw 14M2012 and CSA B481, grease interceptors must be serviced at least once every four weeks. Proper servicing means removing 100% of the interceptor contents — not just skimming the surface — and thoroughly cleaning the interior.

The four-week interval is a minimum, not a target. For high-volume kitchens, the trap may reach the 25% FOG threshold in less than four weeks, in which case it must be cleaned sooner. Factors that affect how quickly a trap fills include:

• Volume of meals prepared per day
• Type of cooking (deep frying produces significantly more FOG than light sautéing)
• Size of the grease interceptor relative to kitchen output
• Whether staff are properly scraping food waste into bins before washing dishes

What Documentation Is Required?

Every grease trap service must be documented. Records must be kept on-site and retained for a minimum of two years. A City inspector can request to see your service records at any time — during a routine inspection or following a complaint. Required documentation typically includes:

• Date of each service
• Name and contact information of the servicing contractor
• Volume of material removed
• Name of the approved disposal facility
• Condition of the grease trap at time of service

At GDM Vac Services, every service includes a written report with before and after photos, FOG percentage readings, volume removed, disposal manifest, and frequency recommendations. This documentation is emailed to you after every visit, so your records are always current and audit-ready.

Where Does the Grease Go?

Grease trap waste must be transported to an approved liquid waste disposal facility by a licensed hauler. It cannot legally be disposed of in any of the following ways:

• Poured into the wastewater or sewer system
• Discharged into the stormwater system
• Placed in organics or recycling bins (check with your organics provider first — some accept it, many do not)
• Poured into used cooking oil collection bins

GDM Vac Services is a licensed liquid waste hauler registered with the City of Calgary. All material removed from your grease trap is transported directly to an approved processing facility, and the disposal manifest is included with your service documentation.

What Are the Consequences of Non-Compliance?

The City of Calgary takes grease trap enforcement seriously, particularly following sewer backup incidents or health inspections. Consequences for non-compliance can include:

• Administrative penalties and fines
• Orders to immediately cease kitchen operations until compliance is achieved
• Liability for costs associated with clearing downstream blockages caused by FOG discharge
• Complications with AHS food safety inspections

Beyond the regulatory risk, a neglected grease trap creates real operational problems — foul odours in the kitchen, slow drains, floor drain backups, and in severe cases, sewage backing up into your kitchen during service hours. The cost of a backup and emergency cleanup far exceeds the cost of regular maintenance.

Grease Trap Installation Rules

If you are installing a new grease interceptor or replacing an existing one, the work must be completed by a licensed plumber under a City of Calgary plumbing permit. The interceptor must be CSA-approved and properly sized for your kitchen's wastewater flow rate. Undersized traps fill faster and are harder to keep compliant — getting the sizing right from the start saves money in the long run.

GDM Vac Services installs CSA-approved grease interceptors of all sizes through our licensed plumbing division. We can assess your kitchen, recommend the right size, and complete the installation under permit.

Tips for Staying Compliant Between Services

Your grease trap service provider handles the cleaning, but there are things your kitchen staff can do between visits to slow FOG accumulation and reduce the risk of a violation:

• Scrape food waste into the garbage before rinsing dishes and pans — this is the single most effective thing staff can do
• Never pour hot grease, fryer oil, or cooking fat directly down a sink drain
• Avoid using chemical degreasers or bleach in sinks that drain into the grease trap — these break up FOG temporarily and push it downstream rather than removing it
• Do not connect garbage disposals to drains that feed into a grease trap
• Do not connect dishwashers or high-temperature rinse equipment directly to a grease trap — the heat liquefies grease and allows it to pass through before it can be captured