Urban Water
Liquid trade waste
Liquid trade waste is any discharge to a sewerage system other than domestic waste from a hand wash basin, shower, bath or toilet.
Sewerage systems are designed to safely collect, transfer and treat wastewater that is mostly of domestic origin. However, sewerage systems may also accept liquid trade waste discharges provided they are planned and controlled within acceptable limits.
The sound regulation of liquid trade waste is a key component of the NSW Government's best practice regulation guidelines.
What businesses in country NSW need to know
To discharge trade waste to a council sewer, businesses must first get approval from the council responsible for regulating sewerage and trade waste in their area.
For further information, read the fact sheet Protect our environment by managing your liquid trade waste (PDF 243 KB).
Liquid Trade Waste Regulation Guidelines 2009
To assist local water utilities (LWUs) with best-practice regulation of sewerage and trade waste in non-metropolitan NSW, the NSW Government has issued the Liquid Trade Waste Regulation Guidelines 2009 (PDF 3.8 MB).
The 2009 Guidelines set out the comprehensive NSW framework for the regulation of sewerage and trade waste. The NSW framework is driven by the Best-Practice Management Guidelines (PDF 767KB) and consistent with the National Wastewater Source Management Guideline (PDF 1.5 MB), published by the Water Services Association of Australia in July 2008.
The guidelines include the 2009 Model Policy for Liquid Trade Waste Regulation. Each LWU is required to adopt and implement a liquid trade waste regulation policy in accordance with the Model Policy by June 2011.
For a copy of the policy, trade waste application forms, and general conditions of approval, contact Haddie Man on (02) 8281 7380.
Liquid trade waste regulation guidelines simplify LWU approval of trade waste dischargers by:
- authorising LWUs to assume concurrence for low risk liquid trade waste dischargers
- encouraging LWUs with significant experience in trade waste regulation to apply for authorisation to assume concurrence for medium risk liquid trade waste dischargers
- simplifying the approval process for liquid trade waste applications by the Crown.
By following the guidelines, each LWU can:
- meet its due diligence obligations and achieve improved environmental outcomes by complying with the LWU's sewage treatment works licences
- improve sewerage system performance, including reduced frequency of sewer chokes and odour complaints
- simplify and speed up trade waste approval
- provide financial incentives to business and industry for cleaner production and waste minimisation
- provide cost-effective trade waste services and achieve full cost recovery for non-residential sewerage and trade waste services, and remove existing cross-subsidies
- reduce residential sewerage bills as improved sewerage system performance will free up system capacity and enable the LWU to serve new development and population growth without needing to augment the existing sewerage.
The Department develops and updates the Liquid Trade Waste Regulation Guidelines, the Model Trade Waste Regulation Policy and related documents. The Department also provides its concurrence to the LWU approval of high risk and medium risk dischargers, as well as 'assumed concurrence' to suitably qualified LWUs for medium risk discharges and consents to LWU trade waste policies.
The Department assists LWUs by:
- providing expert advice and technical support on trade waste matters
- training in sewerage and trade waste regulation
- representing non-metropolitan NSW on trade waste issues at state and national forums.