TRADE WASTE
Effective management of commercial and industrial trade waste discharge
What is Trade Waste?
Trade waste is the liquid waste generated from any industry, business, trade or manufacturing processes other than human waste, or waste that is a prohibited substance.
Trade waste must not be discharged into Council’s sewers, unless the owner of the premises from which trade waste is discharged has been granted a trade waste permit and discharge must comply with the Sewer Admission Limits as set out in Council’s Trade Waste Plan. .
Trade waste may have an organic strength many times that of domestic sewage and can contain other substances which our sewerage infrastructure is not designed to treat, if it is released into Council’s sewer system it may cause:
- A serious risk to the health and safety of water treatment staff;
- Damage to Council’s sewer system infrastructure which may involve extra costs to residential ratepayers;
- Inhibit biological processes at councils treatment plant;
- Accumulate biosolids rending them unusable; and
- Pass through the plant without treatment and cause environmental contamination.
If your business discharges any waste to Council’s sewer that is not specifically domestic waste, then there is a chance you are discharging trade waste to sewer and may require approval.
What is a Trade Waste Approval?
An Approval gives your business permission to discharge trade waste to Council’s sewerage infrastructure. This enables Council to monitor and assess the resulting effects on the sewerage infrastructure for the protection of the system, treatment process and the environment.
A Trade Waste Approval is issued under s180 of the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 by Council and provides conditions under which discharge of trade waste to the sewerage infrastructure is allowed.
Cook Shire Council has a responsibility to manage trade waste under the Water Supply (Safety & Reliability) Act 2008 and the Trade Waste Plan. Under the Act, a person must not discharge trade waste to the sewerage infrastructure without a Trade Waste Approval issued by Cook Shire Council.
When to apply
Examples of appropriate times to lodge an application for buildings intended for industrial and/or commercial usage may include:
- During the building application process for new premises, extensions or shop fit-outs;
- Change in tenancy or ownership;
- Existing premises where trade waste is generated and no trade waste approval has been issued; or
- Where a change in process technology occurs.
It is an offence to discharge trade waste to Council’s sewer without approval.
Impacts of Improper Discharge
Discharging trade waste into Council’s sewer system can strain infrastructure and cause a number of health and environmental risks:
- Health risks to water treatment staff;
- Damage to sewer infrastructure, leading to additional costs for residents;
- Disruption of biological processes at treatment plants;
- Accumulation of biosolids, rendering them unusable; and
- Environmental contamination from untreated waste passing through the plant.
Fees and Charges
Trade Waste Notices are levied annually, the fee is as per Council’s Fees and Charges Schedule .
Monitoring and Inspections
For the purpose of monitoring the conditions of the Trade Waste Approval, Council may routinely or randomly inspect all premises occupied by the subject of a Trade Waste Approval. These may include, but are not limited to, inspection of:
- Maintenance, sampling and discharge data records (if relevant);
- Trade waste connections to stormwater or sewerage infrastructure to ensure there are no illegal discharges or potential for improper discharge or overflow to these systems or waterways;
- Pre-treatment facilities to ensure they are regularly and properly serviced; and
- Work practices to ensure the Approval Holder is not in breach of their Trade Waste Approval.
Non-compliance can lead to suspension or cancellation of the Trade Waste Approval and may result in additional charges. For more information refer to the Trade Waste Plan.
Change of Approval Details
Requests for an amendment of the Trade Waste Approval must be lodged by the Approval Holder either in writing or via e-mail to: mail@cook.qld.gov.au . If the business has sold or closed, please contact Council to arrange cancellation of the Trade Waste Approval.
Further Information
For more details, refer to Council’s Trade Waste Pre-Treatment Guidelines and Trade Waste Environmental Management Plan. Contact Council’s Plumbing Inspector at 07 4082 0500 for assistance.
cook shire
Trade Waste Environmental Management Plan
Cook Shire
Trade Waste Application Form
Cook Shire
Fees & Charges