Trade Waste
Below are the Council guidelines for the treatment of Trade Waste. Contact us if you would like more information on how to best treat Trade Waste.
Liquid wastes are produced by a variety of industrial, commercial and domestic activities. The Environmental Protection Act 1994 provides a general prohibition against the pollution of the environmental authority permitting such discharge.
All discharges to receiving waters are required to be treated to a standard that will maintain or enhance receiving water quality and environmental values.
Liquid waste generated by industry, small business and commercial enterprises to as Trade Waste. The Water Act 2000 prohibits the unauthorized discharge wastes, other then Domestic Sewage, into the Sewerage System. The options for producers of Trade Waste are to have Trade Waste treated at an approved treatment facility, obtain approval from Council to discharge Trade Waste to the Sewerage System or to obtain an environmental authority under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 to treat Trade Waste themselves before discharging Trade Waste to the environment.
Council provides a Sewerage System primarily for transporting and treating Domestic Sewage. Payment for this service is collected by a utility charge levied on rateable land. The Sewerage System may also be used, with the approval of Council, for the acceptance and treatment of Trade Waste. As Trade Waste imposes an additional load on the Sewerage System, charges apply for the discharge of Trade Waste to the Sewerage System. Council is required to meet the condition of the environmental authority (licence), issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, for its Sewerage System including by the Water Act 2000 and the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 1997 to fully assess the effect of Trade Waste on Sewerage System and the environment before issuing a Trade Waste Approval.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Council is held responsible for any pollution from stormwater outfalls under its control. The discharge of Trade Waste to Stormwater Drainage is prohibited under the Local Government Act 1993. Stormwater Drainage shall only be used for the disposal of uncontaminated stormwater runoff.
Domestic Sewage consists mostly of water, which, after treatment to reduce biodegradable material, suspended solids and nutrients, can be disposed of in accordance with Council's environmental authority requirements. Council is actively seeking opportunities to reuse and recycle treated Effluent and Biosolids.
Trade Waste may have an organic strength many times that of Domestic Sewage and may overload the treatment plant. Trade Waste may also contain other substances such as high levels of fats and grease, heavy metals, organic solvents and chlorinated organic substances which Sewerage Systems are not designed to treat. These substances may:
- pose a serious risk to the health and safety of sewerage workers; or
- damage the infrastructure of the Sewerage System; or
- inhibit biological processes at the treatment plant; or
- accumulate in Biosolids, making their reuse difficult or impracticable; or
- pass through the treatment plan untreated resulting in environmental contamination.
To ensure the continued protection of our environment and waterways, Council's policy is to accept, subject to conditions, biodegradable Trade Waste into the Sewerage System provided that:
- the Sewerage System is of adequate capacity to effectively collect, transport and treat the Trade Waste; and
- the Trade Waste Generator has complied with any applicable Trade Waste Approval, and this Trade Waste Management Plan as it applies to the Trade Waste Generator.
This discharge of waste containing substances in amounts liable to be toxic or hazardous to the Sewerage System, treatment process, personnel or the environment is prohibited.
Council may consider the acceptance of Trade Waste containing toxic or hazardous substances and non-degradable pollutants to the Sewerage System only after the Trade Waste has been pre-treated by on site "best practice treatment" to ensure the Sewer Admission Limits are not exceeded.
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