What is liquid trade waste
Trade waste is a liquid waste produced by a business, commercial or industrial activity. It excludes domestic waste from a hand wash basin, shower, bath or toilet.
Managing your liquid trade waste
Sewerage systems are designed to transport and treat domestic sewage. Council may accept liquid trade waste into its sewerage system as a service to businesses and industry.
Sound trade waste management is needed to:
- protect community assets, for example, sewer mains, pumping stations and sewage treatment facilities from damage by trade waste
- protect the environment – some substances, such as metals or pesticides, may pass through the treatment facility unchanged and accumulate in the environment. Other substances may adversely affect the biological processes and the quality of the treated effluent and bio-solids
- protect public and worker health and safety – people working in and around the sewerage system can be harmed if toxic substances are discharged into the sewer
Impacts of poor liquid trade management include:
- grease, oil, solid material, if not removed on-site, can cause blockages in the sewerage system and result in overflows of untreated sewerage to the environment
- strong waste may cause odour problems and corrosion of assets
Responsibilities of a trade waste discharger
- a business discharging trade waste into a Council sewer must obtain an approval to do so from Council
- either the owner of the premises or the tenant who carries out an activity on the premises may apply for approval. The tenant must have the written consent of the owner in order to apply for an approval
- a discharger is responsible for pre-treating their waste to a level acceptable for discharge to the sewer. To assist applicants, Council can provide information on the type of pre-treatment needed for various trade waste generating activities
- a discharger must comply with all the conditions in Council’s approval
What is Council’s responsibility when it comes to trade waste
Council is responsible for providing and managing water supply, sewerage and liquid trade waste services for its community. An important part of those responsibilities is the approval and monitoring of liquid trade waste discharges to its sewerage system in accordance with the Liquid Trade Waste Management Guidelines and Council’s Trade Waste Policy.
In order to accept liquid trade waste to sewer, Council must ensure that:
- its sewerage system complies with the Department of Environment and Climate Change licence requirements
- water conservation and waste minimisation are strongly encouraged
- there is no adverse effect on the environment or the health and safety of the public and Council’s employees
- the trade waste does not adversely affect the potential beneficial reuse of effluent and bio-solids produced at the sewerage treatment works
- it monitors discharges to ensure they comply with Council’s approval
- additional maintenance costs for Council’s assets arising from the discharge of trade waste to sewer are minimised
Important - prosecution and penalties apply
Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 requires that all trade waste dischargers to a council sewerage system must have an approval from Council. This applies to both new and existing trade waste dischargers. A discharger who fails to obtain Council’s approval or fails to obtain Council’s approval or fails to comply with the conditions of approval may be prosecuted under section 120 (1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. In addition, Council may issue a penalty notice under section 222 of that Act.
How to apply
Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 sets out three categories of liquid trade waste Concurrence A, B and C. To apply for approval to discharge trade waste into a Council sewer, you need to complete the appropriate application form. The Liquid Trade Waste Category Determination Checklist will help you identify which application form you need to complete:
Documents
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