Although it may not be the most glamorous part of owning a mobile food business, removing food truck greywater from your truck is a necessary evil. Depending on the municipality you are licensed in you may have to complete this task daily or multiple times a week.

Food truck greywater is waste water generated from your truck’s hand and three compartment sinks, which must be disposed of in a health department approved grease interceptor at your commissary or commercial kitchen. Greywater differs from water from the toilets (very few food trucks have toilet facilities unless you have a full sized trailer you use as a mobile food platform) which is designated sewage or blackwater to indicate it contains human waste.

If you are not sure on the process for completing this duty, we have compiled this list for your use.

Checklist For Food Truck Greywater Disposal

• Start by pulling up to your waste water dump station, placing your holding tank drain valve as close to the opening of the dump station as possible. This will ensure that if there is an accident, it will be contained within the dumping area.
• Put the latex gloves on and get your sewer hose out. Before removing the cap to the holding tank drain opening, the gray water valve is closed.
• Check your sewer hose to ensure the hose is securely clamped to the adapter that attaches to the holding tank drain outlet. Remove the cap and attach the sewer hose, ensuring the adapter is completely attached. You can tell if it is when the tabs on the adapter are lined up with the stubs on the tank drain.
• Insert the other end of the sewer hose into the dump station’s hole about four to six inches. Use the hole’s cover, a brick, or something heavy enough to hold the sewer hose in place so it doesn’t come out of the hole.
• Once you are certain everything is secured, pull open the grey water tank valve. You will hear the effluent rush through the hose, start to slow down, and finally become a trickling sound.
• Now close the gray tank valve.
• At this point, you’re almost done. If you want to flush and rinse your tank again, you can do so by filling the tank to 2/3 full and repeat the emptying process. If others are waiting to use the dump station, be courteous and skip this step.
• Recheck that the tank valve is closed and disconnect the sewer hose from your truck’s tank outlet. Replace the tank outlet cover.
• Lift the end of the sewer hose (the end you just disconnected) to completely drain the hose into the dump station. If a non-potable water hose is available, run water through the sewer hose to rinse it out. Remove the sewer hose from the dump station hole and rinse the outside of the hose. Rinse the area around the hole to ensure that any spillage has been cleaned up and cover the dump station hole.
• If you use a water treatment solution in your grey water tank, go in to your food truck and add about five gallons of water to your tank and then add the appropriate amount of holding tank treatment.

Note: Do this only if no one is waiting in line to use the station because it can take a few minutes to do. If others are waiting, pull away from the dump station and perform this step in another area.

The task of emptying your food truck greywater holding tank is now finished. If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, please feel free to add them in the comment section below or share them via social media. Facebook | Twitter