Grease trap pumping, cleaning and installation in Toronto
If you cook, heat or prepare food in Toronto and your drains run to the sewer, you have a grease interceptor to look after, and the City has written rules about it. This directory lists the companies that hold the official approval for each job, shows you the approval number we checked, and explains the rules in plain language. It's written for owners, chefs and kitchen managers, not for the trade.
What Toronto requires, in four lines
- Have one. Every food service establishment needs a grease interceptor on any pipe that reaches the sanitary sewer (City of Toronto).
- Service it on time. Every four weeks, or before grease and solids reach 25 per cent of the liquid volume, whichever comes first (maintenance rules).
- Use an approved carrier. Unless you have no stove or fryer and very little grease, a waste carrier approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks does the servicing.
- Keep the paper. Service and disposal records stay on site for at least seven years (what each receipt should show).
Find a company
| Service | When you need it | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Grease trap pumping also: pump-outs, interceptor cleaning, FOG removal | Every four weeks, or sooner if grease and solids reach 25 per cent of the liquid volume. | 4 approved companies |
| Installation & replacement also: new interceptor, trap replacement, sizing | New kitchens, renovations and expansions, failed units, or when the City orders a new one. | 6 approved companies |
| Line jetting & flushing also: hydro jetting, drain flushing, kitchen line cleaning | Slow or blocked kitchen lines, and before grease reaches the City sewer. | 3 approved companies |
| Used cooking oil pickup also: fryer oil pickup, yellow grease, oil recycling | Whenever the fryers are drained: oil goes into a covered, secured container, never a drain. | Not enough approved companies yet. Approved? Email us. |
The four-week, 25 per cent rule
Most kitchens have a hydromechanical grease interceptor (a "grease trap") under a sink or in the floor. The City wants it emptied, cleaned and inspected at whichever comes first: four weeks, or grease and solids at a quarter of the liquid volume. A fryer-heavy menu can hit 25 per cent in two weeks. The City may allow up to eight weeks, but only if your records show you stay under 25 per cent at the four-week mark. Large in-ground gravity interceptors are pumped before they pass 25 per cent. Details on the Toronto rules page.
Before you sign a service contract
- Ask for the company's Ministry approval number and look it up yourself in Access Environment.
- Ask what is done on each visit. Proper servicing means removing the entire contents, cleaning the unit and inspecting its parts.
- Ask to see a sample receipt. It should show the date and time, the work done, the grease and solids level, the unit's condition and where the waste went.
- Get the schedule in writing, and ask how they'll adjust it if your levels run high or low.
- Ask who handles a blocked line on a Saturday night, and whether that truck is Ministry-approved too.
- Get a written quote that names everything included: pumping, scraping, travel, disposal.
- Steer clear of anyone selling enzymes, bacteria or "no pump-out needed" treatments. The City bans using them to move grease through an interceptor.
Latest Field Note
The four-week rule for Toronto grease interceptors (November 11, 2026)
Toronto expects most grease traps serviced every four weeks or before they reach 25 per cent full. Here is how the rule works and when eight weeks is allowed.
How listings work
- Approval first. A company only appears under a service if it holds the official approval that service requires, and we show the number. Paying for a Featured listing doesn't change that.
- Free. Basic listings cost nothing. Email us to be added.
- Paid placements are labelled. Featured companies appear first with a "Paid placement" tag (details).
- A listing is not an endorsement. We don't rate or review anyone. Check approvals, insurance and references yourself.
- Corrections and removals are handled within five business days: update a listing or ask for removal.