Trailer water system
for a food trailer.
The water system is where more trailers fail an inspection than anywhere else, and almost always for the same reason: the hand-wash arrangement. It is a small, cheap part of the build that is treated as an afterthought and then stops you trading.
The numbers
- Electrical load
- 50–3000 W running 13.0A at 230V · exceeds a 13A socket on its own
- Footprint
- Fresh tank 50–120L plus a waste tank of equal or greater capacity
- New (indicative)
- €300 – €2,500
- Checked
- 2026-08-01
Power figures are ranges across models commonly sold into the Irish trailer trade — read the rating plate on the actual unit before you build a load budget on them. Prices are indicative guidance bands, not quotes, and no supplier is named or implied.
The hand-wash basin is not optional
A commercial food trailer needs a dedicated hand-wash basin with hot and cold running water, soap and paper towels — separate from any sink used for equipment or food. "Hot water" means genuinely hot at the tap, not a kettle nearby, and the basin must be usable at any point during service without moving anything. This single requirement is the most common reason for a failed environmental health check or a refused festival gate-in.
Tank sizing and potable water
Fresh water must be potable and stored in food-grade tanks with hoses reserved for that purpose — never a garden hose. Size the fresh tank on your busiest day and then add margin; running out of water means you stop trading, since you cannot legally operate without hand-washing. A waste tank of at least equal capacity is required, because everything you bring in has to leave with you.
Waste water is not something you pour away
Grey water from a food trailer is a waste stream and must be disposed of at a proper facility, not tipped into a drain, a hedge or a gully. Festivals designate a disposal point; councils will expect you to have a plan. Pouring waste water away on site is both an offence and the fastest way to be refused a return pitch.
Questions
Does a food trailer need a hand-wash basin?
Yes — a dedicated basin with hot and cold running water, soap and paper towels, separate from any equipment or food sink. Hot means genuinely hot at the tap, not a kettle nearby. It is the single most common reason trailers fail an inspection or a festival gate-in.
How big should a food trailer water tank be?
Size the fresh tank on your busiest realistic day and add margin, with a waste tank of at least equal capacity. Running out of water means you stop trading, because you cannot operate legally without hand-washing facilities.
How do I dispose of waste water from a trailer?
At a designated disposal facility. Grey water is a regulated waste stream — tipping it into a drain, gully or hedge is an offence and the fastest way to lose a pitch. Festivals designate a disposal point; ask before you arrive.