Trade waste

North East Water has a trade waste by-law designed to regulate waste discharge from commercial and industrial premises.

The regulation of trade waste discharges has been introduced in order to protect the environment and meet community exception.

Trade waste categories

Minor trade waste

Minor trade waste comprises discharges from food preparation premises, mechanical workshops or other premises of minor nature. These discharges do not have a large impact on the sewage treatment process but they are significant enough to require the installation of a pre-treatment device such as a grease trap or petrol/oil separator. Before such a device is commissioned, North East Water needs to inspect it to ascertain its quality, size and suitability. Annual inspections are undertaken on these devices to ensure they are maintained in working condition. Examples of minor trade waste device types are available in our Publications section.

Major trade waste

Major trade wastes have the capacity to damage the infrastructure of the sewer system and/or have a large impact on the treatment process. These wastes are measured by volume and strength/load, and they are billed accordingly. Load limits are set at industry standards and the dischargers are confined to a stringent trade waste agreement, with monthly and random sampling of the waste. Major trade waste dischargers are encouraged to install the "best available technology" and be committed to waste minimisation.

Trade Waste Customer Charter

In accordance with the ESC Trade Waste Customer Service Code that was released, North East Water has developed a Trade Waste Customer Charter.

The Trade Waste Customer Charter is to inform our customers about the trade waste service performed by North East Water and the respective rights and responsibilities of North East Water and of our customers.

The Trade Waste Customer Charter should be read in conjunction with our Customer Charter. A complete copy of the Trade Waste Customer Charter has been made available for you to download.

For further information regarding the Trade Waste Customer Charter, please contact North East Water’s Trade Waste Department on 1300 361 622.

Trade waste by-laws and agreements

In many instances, waste generators are not aware of their responsibilities nor do they understand the implications of discharging wastes.

If your business comes under one of the following categories you may be affected:

Meal preparation
Food manufacturing
Textiles and Leather
Service Station
Chemicals
Metal processing
Engineering
General manufacturing.

If you are in doubt about whether your business is covered by this by-law, please contact one of our Trade Waste Officers 1300 361 622.

North East Water employs qualified staff who are available to discuss waste minimisation with all their customers.

To obtain copies of the North East Water Trade Waste By-Laws and Agreements please contact us at the Wodonga Head Office or download the North East Water Trade Waste By-Laws and Agreements as PDFs from our Publications section.

Penalties apply for non compliance of agreed quantity and quality levels of waste discharge in accordance with North East Water's trade waste by-laws.

Trade waste FAQs

Answers to seven frequently asked questions on trade waste.

What is trade waste?
Why is it controlled?
Are there different categories?
Are inspections carried out?
What are the costs associated with trade waste?
Is trade waste the owners or the tenants responsibility?
How can I reduce the amount of grease produced?

What is trade waste?

Generally, trade waste is all liquid wastes other than:

Toilet wastes, and
Household waste from kitchens, showers etc.

Why is it controlled?

Trade waste is controlled to ensure that harmful substances are not allowed to enter the sewer and place our staff and the environment at risk and to ensure that those premises creating the waste pay an equitable proportion of its treatment. Trade waste is more difficult and expensive to treat than domestic sewage and accordingly those who generate the waste should pay for the treatment.

Are there different categories?

Yes. Each waste discharge is assessed and categorised depending on waste quantity and quality.

1. Minor trade waste
The vast majority of small business fall into this category and the major / typical waste is usually oil and grease which are common discharges from takeaway food shops, service stations and restaurants.

2. Major trade waste
Larger businesses and industries may be in this category, depending on the quantity and quality of their discharge.

Are inspections carried out?

In most cases inspections are carried out annually however, in some circumstances inspections and monitoring is carried out more frequently.

What are the costs associated with trade waste?

Minor trade waste
An annual monitoring and inspection fee will be included on your usual 3 monthly account.

Major trade waste
A separate account will be issued and will include a monitoring and inspection fee; a volumetric charge for each kilolitre of waste discharged at a the agreed cents per kilolitre and various wastewater quality charges for things such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and salinity (in some cases) etc., depending on the terms and conditions of the specific agreement.

Is trade waste the owner's or the tenant's responsibility?

This varies from business to business and the person or company that signs the Agreement with the Corporation is responsible for compliance with that Agreement.

If a business is sold or changes lessee the new owner / manager should be made aware of the Agreement so that they can contact the Corporation.

How can I reduce the amount of grease produced?

The following tips will help reduce the quantity of grease you put in the sewer:

Dry wipe plates and utensils to remove excess grease.
Use less cooking oils and fats
Collect and store all used cooking oils and fats for collection by recycling companies.
Use less dishwashing detergent. Detergents temporarily dissolve the grease and fats, allowing them to pass through the grease interceptor and into the sewerage system.

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