Oil interceptor emptying and waste removal
Oil/water interceptors and separators catch oil and silt before surface water reaches the drains. They only work properly if they’re emptied, because a full interceptor can let oil through into the drainage system.
BL Oils collects interceptor waste (the oily water, oil and silt that builds up inside) and takes it to a permitted facility for treatment. You get the correct paperwork with every collection. For oily water from wash bays, bunds and compressors, see oily water disposal.
Where we empty interceptors
- Fuel forecourts and filling stations
- Car parks and service yards
- Vehicle wash bays and valeting areas, including at dealerships
- Garages, workshops and fleet depots, including council and highways depots
- Industrial and commercial sites, plant yards and farms
- Scrapyards and breakers’ yards (car breakers and ATFs)
How often does an interceptor need emptying?
It depends on the type and size of your system and how much oil and silt your site produces. Follow the manufacturer’s guidance and your site’s maintenance plan, and if you’re not sure when yours was last emptied, ask us to take a look when we quote. Our guide explains how often an oil interceptor should be emptied. Interceptor full or close to overflowing? See our 24-hour emergency call-out.
We collect all types of waste oil too, so you can deal with your waste oil, oil filters and interceptor waste with one licensed carrier.
What to tell us for a quote
- Your site postcode and the type of site
- The interceptor size or capacity, if you know it
- Roughly when it was last emptied
- Any access restrictions, such as opening hours or height barriers
Why regular maintenance matters
An interceptor tank is there for pollution prevention. As oil, fuel and silt build up, there’s less room left to hold them, and a full or neglected interceptor can let oil and fuels pass into surface water drains and on to streams and rivers. Under environmental regulations, letting polluting matter enter drains or watercourses is an offence, so regular emptying and interceptor cleaning are part of looking after your site.
What to expect when we empty your interceptor
- Before we arrive: we agree a day and time, and check access for the tanker and where the inspection covers are.
- On the day: interceptors are emptied by suction using a vacuum tanker. The oily water, oil and silt are pumped out of each chamber.
- Cleaning: if your chambers need cleaning as well as emptying, tell us when you book and we’ll arrange it.
- Paperwork: interceptor waste is hazardous waste, so you get a hazardous waste consignment note for every collection.
Interceptor maintenance tips
- Keep a simple log of when the interceptor was emptied, with your consignment notes
- Check it regularly, and more often after spills or heavy use of a wash bay
- Keep detergents and degreasers out of the drains where you can, as they can stop the interceptor separating oil properly
- Have any alarm, if fitted, checked as part of your maintenance plan
- Don’t pour waste oil or fuel down the drain. Keep it in a container and we’ll collect it with your interceptor waste
Forecourt interceptors: see petrol station waste collection. Depot wash bays: see hauliers and fleet depots.
Interceptor FAQs
How do you empty an oil interceptor?
By suction, using a vacuum tanker. The oily water, oil and silt are pumped out of the chambers and taken to a permitted facility for treatment, with a consignment note for your records.
Can you clean the interceptor as well as empty it?
Tell us when you book if your chambers need cleaning as well as emptying, and we’ll arrange it as part of the job.
Is interceptor waste hazardous?
Yes. The oily water, oil and silt from an interceptor are normally classed as hazardous waste, so they must go with a licensed carrier and you should keep the consignment note.
Can you set up regular interceptor emptying?
Yes. Tell us about your site and how it’s used, and we’ll agree a regular schedule that suits it, or book a one-off empty.
Can you collect waste oil and filters on the same visit?
Yes. We can take your waste oil, oil and fuel filters and interceptor waste together, with one set of paperwork.
BL Oils is based in Doncaster and empties interceptors across all of Yorkshire, plus Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Call 07785 921493 (answered 24/7) or ask for a free quote.