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Oil from water separators (O/WS) are devices used to remove oil and grease from wastewater before it is discharged into drainage systems. They typically involve a series of tanks or baffles through which the water is filtered. Water enters through an input tube and is sent through the succession of submerged output tubes or baffles. As the water passes through the tubes/baffles, the grease and oil rises to the top of the tank, while sludge, sand and other heavy particulate sinks to the bottom. The waste remains in the tank, and the cleansed water exits through the discharge tube.

Regulations require that auto-body shops, gas stations, parking areas and other locations that generate considerable amounts of oil and grease waste use oil/water separators to treat wastewater. The size of the required system is determined by the facility; facilities that generate extensive amounts of waste are required to use larger capacity tanks. However, O/WS systems are not an effective means of disposing hydraulic fluid, Freon or numerous other hazardous materials, or of high concentrations of oil. Additionally, certain soaps and detergents can negatively affect the separation process, leading to system inefficiency; and non-emulsifying cleaners should be used in facilities using O/WS systems.

Oil/Water separators require regular maintenance to ensure that they do not pollute the environment. Such maintenance includes monitoring, inspecting, servicing and pumping the O/WS system, as excessive waste buildup will lead to inefficiency and, ultimately, pollution. Proper maintenance procedures are extremely important, since a leak in the system can lead to a wide assortment of cleanup and inspection expenses.

Among the types of oil/water separators available are American Petroleum Institute (API), coalescing plate, and spill control separators. API separators use a water inlet and outlet and a set of baffles to remove oil and sludge. Spill control units simply use an inlet and underflow valve to regulate runoff from small amounts of water. Coalescing plate separators utilize a thick baffle filled with a series of plates to trap passing oil.