Trade waste

Trade waste is liquid wastewater from a food business or industrial entity that enters the wastewater system. This includes all water that is used for the preparation or cooking of food, washing dishes or cleaning, that goes down the drain.

Under The Water Industry Act 2012, it is illegal to discharge any wastewater other than domestic waste into the wastewater network without an approval.

To protect the wastewater system some trade waste may need to be treated before it is discharged. Treatment might include removing harmful chemicals or fats or can correct the characteristics of the wastewater, like its pH or temperature.

Whether your business is food related or industrial, you will be creating wastewater (or trade waste) that needs to meet the Local Acceptance Criteria (LAC) before it can be discharged to the sewer network.

The primary legal obligation, applicable to all trade waste producers in the district who discharge to a wastewater network, is that they hold a valid trade waste approval and/or Agreement with GMB Water.

The most common types of trade waste do not contain toxic or harmful substances and are produced every day from businesses such as cafes and restaurants, mechanical workshops, shopping centres, theme parks, hotels and food processing and manufacturing premises. Common activities that produce trade waste include rinsing and washing utensils and dishes, equipment and vehicle cleaning, preparing surfaces for metal finishing and food processing.

If you are a business owner or operator who generates wastewater from a business activity, it is likely you are producing trade waste.

GMB Water's wastewater networks are designed for the transport and treatment of liquid waste from typical household activities. When untreated trade waste enters our network it can damage pipes and causes blockages and spills. It can also disrupt the wastewater treatment process, harm the environment, and present a safety risk to the public, staff and contractors.

Our trade waste management plan manages risk to:

• Protect the health & safety of workers
• Protect the integrity of the wastewater system
• Protect wastewater treatment plant processes
• Protect the environment, particularly the receiving environment
• Facilitate & provide opportunities for re-use of effluent & biosolids

The primary legal obligation, applicable to all trade waste producers in the district who discharge to a wastewater network, is that they hold a valid trade waste approval and/or agreement with the GMB Water.

Please refer to GMB Water's Trade Waste Management Plan for more information.

A trade waste approval is a legal contract between the property owner, the trade waste producer and GMB Water. The approval sets out the conditions you must adhere to for discharging trade waste into the wastewater system. If you are a trade waste producer, you must apply to GMB Water for a trade waste approval before discharging to sewer.

Our wastewater system is designed primarily to treat domestic wastewater, but we also accept compatible trade waste when system capacity allows. Local Acceptance Criteria outlines the limits, quality and other characteristics of trade waste that we will accept.  Please refer to our Trade Waste Management Plan for Local Acceptance Criteria.

To meet our acceptance criteria, we may require you to pre-treat your wastewater before it is discharged into the sewer. Please refer to our Trade Waste Management Plan for minimum pretreatment requirements.

When you apply for trade waste approval, we assess your business individually.  This helps us determine the necessary steps to ensure your trade waste is suitable for discharge into the wastewater system, which are then incorporated into your approval conditions.

For further information regarding trade waste, and to request a trade waste application form, please contact us on 8391 7200 or via email at customerservice@gmbwater.au or via the contact form.