Trade waste


Trade waste

Washing dishes

Trade waste is the discharge of waterborne waste other than sewage.

The Essential Services Commission's Water Industry Standard – Trade Waste Customer Service provides water businesses with a consistent, transparent and timely decision making approach to managing trade waste in Victoria. A copy of the Water Industry Standard – Trade Waste Customer Service can be downloaded from the Essential Services Commission.

We've developed a Trade Waste Customer Charter to inform customers about the trade waste services that we perform and the respective rights and responsibilities of Wannon Water and our customers.  The Trade Waste Customer Charter should be read in conjunction with our Customer Charter.

Trade waste management at Wannon Water is governed by our Trade Waste Management Policy, which describes our objectives for the acceptance of trade waste into our sewerage systems.

It sets requirements, including:

  • Application to discharge trade waste
  • Assessment of applications
  • Classification of trade waste customers
  • The form of trade waste agreements
  • Trade waste acceptance criteria and customer specific acceptance criteria
  • Obligations of customers and Wannon Water
  • Specify when a right to discharge trade waste may be terminated
  • Trade waste fees and charges.

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How the trade waste process works

Trade waste flowchart

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Application to discharge trade waste

A Minor Trade Waste Application form must be lodged with Wannon Water where trade waste is generated or is likely to be generated

Each new or existing trade waste customer must provide the information requested in the form before any new or further trade waste being discharged.

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Trade waste categories

All premises discharging trade waste to the sewerage system are classified as trade waste customers. We're committed to a clear and transparent process in categorising its trade waste customers. We will assess all applications to discharge trade waste to the sewerage system taking into consideration:

  • The nature of the business and the risks posed by the discharge
  • The scale of trade waste discharge relative to the capacity of the receiving sewerage system
  • The composition of the trade waste
  • The opportunities for the reuse of reclaimed water and biosolids.

Trade waste customers are categorised into one of three categories dependent on their load and risk to the sewerage system. These categories, which create the framework for the form of appropriate trade waste agreement and the pricing structure, are described in the following table: 

 Category  Description
Major trade waste customer Unique flow and/or load possibly requiring infrastructure and/or treatment in addition to current system capacity.

Minor trade waste (pre-treatment) customer

Strength of trade waste not of a similar nature to domestic sewage requiring the installation of pre-treatment equipment prior to discharge to our sewerage system.
Minor trade waste (no pre-treatment) customer Discharge small quantities of trade waste to our sewerage system and which is of a similar nature to domestic sewage.

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Major trade waste (pre-treatment) customers

All customers issued with a Major Trade Waste Agreement must complete a Trade Waste Management Plan. These plans were developed with the Environment Protection Authority and the Victorian Water Industry Association. They are important tools that can lead to increased production efficiency and cost savings by committing to actions that:

  • Improve quality of flows
  • Decrease volumes where appropriate
  • Utilise trade waste as reuse water where viable and appropriate
  • Provide sufficient information to understand the customer's overall manufacturing and waste generation process
  • Understand the potential impact of the trade waste upon the sewerage system
  • Forecast any changes to the trade waste discharge.

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Minor Trade Waste (Pre-Treatment) Customers

Customers required to install pre-treatment equipment will be required to enter into a Minor Trade Waste (Pre-Treatment) Agreement prior to discharging trade waste to our sewerage system. We have developed a Pre-Treatment Equipment Listing required for different business types.

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Minor trade waste (No pre-treatment) customers

We have a number of non-residential customers who discharge to the sewerage system and would come under the definition of "trade waste" but are considered too small for Wannon Water to require a Trade Waste Agreement, and do not warrant the additional level of administration and monitoring that comes with this. 

Customers who, by definition in Water Law, discharge trade waste, but that:

  • Discharge small quantities of trade waste to our sewer and which is of a similar nature to domestic sewage; or
  • Operate a business of a type which discharges small quantities of trade waste to our sewer and which is of a similar nature to domestic sewage will be considered Minor Trade Waste (No Pre-Treatment) customers.

We will notify these customers when they have been classified as Minor Trade Waste (No Pre-Treatment) customers and, should they continue to discharge trade waste, they will be taken to have entered into a Minor Trade Waste (No Pre-Treatment) Agreement with Wannon Water arising by customer conduct.

Customer types that we would consider Minor Trade Waste Customers (No Pre-Treatment) are shown in the Minor Trade Waste (No Pre-Treatment) Customer Listing Schedule.

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Trade waste fees and charges

Trade waste fees and charges are set by resolution under section 260 of the Water Act by Wannon Water in accordance with principles determined by the Essential Services Commission.  Prices for each fee and charge are specified on our prices page.

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Further Information

For further information about trade waste please contact us.

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