If you run a restaurant in Canada, grease trap cleaning regulations are something you simply cannot ignore. Every province has its own rules, and every city can add even more requirements on top of those. Miss a cleaning, skip a record, or use the wrong disposal method, and you could be looking at fines, forced closures, or a very unpleasant conversation with a bylaw officer.
Think of your grease trap like the lint filter in a dryer. You would not run your dryer for months without cleaning the filter. The same logic applies here. A grease trap catches fats, oils, and grease (commonly called FOG) before they enter the municipal sewer. When those pipes clog, they back up into businesses, basements, and even local waterways. That is why governments across Canada take this seriously.
What Is a Grease Trap and Why Does It Matter?
A grease trap is a plumbing device installed between your kitchen drains and the city sewer line. It slows the flow of wastewater so that grease floats to the top and solid food waste sinks to the bottom. The cleaner water in the middle passes through.
Without regular cleaning, the trap fills up, stops working, and FOG enters the sewer. Once it cools inside the pipes, it hardens like candle wax. Over time, it builds up, blocks the line, and can cause sewage overflows that are expensive, smelly, and a serious public health concern.
Province-by-Province Breakdown of Grease Trap Cleaning Regulations
Ontario
Ontario sets the foundation through the Ontario Building Code, but cities enforce the day-to-day rules through their own sewer use bylaws.
In Toronto, the Sewers By-law under Municipal Code Chapter 681 requires all food service businesses to install, maintain, and regularly service a grease interceptor. The city mandates a pump-out at least once a month. Your service provider must be a licensed hauler with an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act, and they must give you a written report after each visit. Failing to comply can result in fines of up to $100,000.
- Ottawa follows Sewer Use By-law No. 2025-94, which requires cleaning monthly or whenever grease and solids reach 25% of the trap’s liquid volume, whichever comes first.
- Hamilton uses By-law 14-090, which skips a fixed time interval entirely. The rule there is purely capacity-based: clean before grease and solids hit that 25% threshold. The city’s Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement unit conducts regular checks.
- Markham requires service every 28 days or at the 25% capacity mark, whichever is sooner.
One important note for all Ontario operators: enzymes and chemical additives that push grease further down the drain are prohibited. They do not solve the problem; they just move it to someone else’s pipes.
British Columbia
In BC, the main authority is Metro Vancouver’s Food Sector Grease Interceptor Bylaw 365, enacted in 2023. It covers 21 cities, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Richmond. The reason for such strict rules is straightforward: FOG damage costs Metro Vancouver over $2.7 million every single year.
Under Bylaw 365, every commercial kitchen that produces grease must install a correctly sized interceptor connected to all relevant fixtures. The cleaning rule follows the same logic you will see across the country: pump out every 90 days, or when FOG and solids reach 25% of the liquid depth, whichever comes first. Discharge must not exceed 150 mg/L of grease.
You must keep two full years of maintenance records on site, ready for an inspector at any time. Hot water, enzymes, and chemical solvents that push grease through the trap are explicitly banned under Bylaw 365.
For restaurants in Victoria and the Capital Regional District, the rules come from CRD Sewer Use Bylaw No. 2922, which mirrors the same 25% capacity and 90-day standard.
Penalties in Metro Vancouver include fines up to $500 per violation, a $500 re-inspection fee, and an additional $300 water sampling fee if effluent testing becomes necessary.
Quebec
Quebec’s regulatory picture is layered. There is no single province-wide rule. Instead, restaurants must follow the provincial Code de plomberie under the Quebec Construction Code, overseen by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), along with their local municipal bylaws.
In Montreal, Règlement 15-085 governs FOG offences. Fines for individual operators range from roughly $500 to $1,000 per offence, with higher amounts for corporations and repeat violations.
Across all Quebec municipalities, the common expectation is a pump-out at or before the 25% capacity threshold, full maintenance records kept for at least two years, and disposal only at authorized facilities.
A practical note from industry professionals: a trap can be emptied without truly being clean. And maintenance can happen while being poorly documented. Either of those situations can land you in trouble during an inspection, even if you thought you were doing everything right.
Alberta
Alberta does not have a single province-wide FOG regulation, but that does not mean operators are off the hook. In Calgary and Edmonton, municipal sewer-use regulations require food service businesses to install and maintain approved grease-intercepting devices and clean them on a schedule set by the city. Both cities conduct inspections and can issue fines for non-compliance.
All pump-outs must be done by licensed and insured contractors. Edmonton’s Health and Safety Standards and Wastewater System bylaws are enforced by the city’s environmental health and utilities services teams.
Compliance Checklist for Canadian Restaurant Owners
Use this checklist to make sure your kitchen stays on the right side of grease trap regulations in Canada:
Installation
- The grease trap is properly sized and installed by a licensed plumber
- Trap is connected to all kitchen fixtures that produce FOG (sinks, dishwashers, floor drains)
- Equipment meets CSA B481.1 standards as required by your province
Cleaning and Maintenance
- You are on a regular cleaning schedule (monthly in Toronto and Ottawa; every 90 days or at 25% capacity in BC; capacity-based in Hamilton)
- Only licensed haulers with proper environmental approvals are performing pump-outs
- No enzymes, hot water additives, or chemical solvents are being used
Record-Keeping
- Written service reports are collected after every pump-out
- Reports include FOG levels found, the condition of the trap, and the disposal location
- At least two years of maintenance records are kept on site
- Records are available for inspection at any time
Staff Awareness
- Kitchen staff scrape plates and cookware before washing to reduce FOG entering the drain
- Staff know where the grease trap is located and who to call for service
The Bottom Line
Understanding grease trap cleaning regulations in Canada is not just about avoiding fines. It is about running a responsible business that protects your kitchen, your customers, and the surrounding community. The rules differ by province and city, but the shared principle everywhere is the same: keep your trap clean, document your maintenance, and use certified professionals.
Keeping your grease trap clean is one thing. Knowing who to call when something goes wrong is another. Whether you need help with commercial wastewater compliance, a sudden drain backup, or a pump-out that cannot wait, Proof Response has you covered. Reach out to the team today via their commercial wastewater and tender support page and get a response built around your timeline, not theirs.