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Industrial Customers

• Trade Waste Management Plan for Industrial Customers
• Applying for an Industrial Trade Waste Consent Agreement
• Pre-treatment
• Cleaner Production
• Fees and Charges
• The Risk Index and Monitoring
• Search for Industrial Trade Wastewater Consent Agreements
• Industrial Customer Newsletter

Trade Waste Management Plan for Industrial Customers

To help businesses understand and meet their obligations, Sydney Water has developed a Trade Waste Management Plan for Industrial Customers (PDF - 0.35MB) which details how industrial customers can manage their discharges to sewer and meet the conditions of their agreement with Sydney Water.

Applying for an Industrial Trade Waste Consent Agreement

Each industrial customer that discharges trade wastewater to sewer needs to negotiate a trade waste consent agreement with Sydney Water. The customer is the operator of the business, rather than the property owner. Under a consent agreement, the customer is responsible for managing the wastewater.

To apply for a consent agreement you need to:

1. Complete an Application for Consent to Discharge Industrial Trade Wastewater (PDF - 125KB) . The owner, manager, proprietor or occupier who is carrying out the business generating the trade wastewater should complete this form.
2. Obtain a copy of the relevant sewerage service diagram from an authorised Quick Check Agent or a Sydney Water Customer Centre.

The complete application should include a:

• sketch showing the location of any pre-treatment equipment on the premises (A4 or A3 size)
• complete specifications of pre-treatment equipment
• a copy of the sewerage service diagram.

A conditional consent is then drawn up, and sampling and analysis of the business's wastewater takes place for a set period of time. This data is then used as the basis for a formal consent.

An industrial trade waste agreement information package (PDF - 688KB) is also available.

Pre-treatment

As an industrial customer you are required to pre-treat wastewater before it is discharged to the sewer. Pre-treating wastewater can involve simple separation techniques or very complex chemical treatment plants. Pre-treating wastewater removes some harmful substances or reduces them to very small acceptable amounts.

Each industrial business needs to determine pre-treatment requirements according to each industrial process. Sydney Water will then monitor your business to ensure you are meeting policy requirements.

• Discharge of contaminated surface and ground waters to the sewer fact sheet (PDF - 310KB)

Cleaner Production

Wastewater treatment equipment can be expensive to install and operate. Cleaner production techniques complement wastewater treatment and can minimise and in some cases even eliminate ongoing treatment costs.

The Department of Environment and Heritage provides case studies and examples of businesses that have implemented cleaner production techniques. Cleaner production is a win for business and a win for the environment.

Fees and Charges

Sydney Water charges for the amount and type of trade wastewater and substances discharged to the sewerage system. These charges cover the costs of transporting and treating wastewater and offer incentives for businesses to control the amount of trade wastewater and substances they discharge. The less a business discharges of a particular substance, the less it pays.

• Industrial fees and charges (PDF - 58KB)
• Acceptance standards and charging rates (PDF - 61KB)

All trade waste fees and charges are regulated by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) and are subject to annual CPI adjustment.

The Risk Index and Monitoring

Using a risk assessment process Sydney Water allocates a risk index to each industrial customer. The Risk Index determines an industrial customer's quarterly consent fees and also details the self-monitoring process for industrial customers required to inspect, sample and analyse the trade wastewater discharged to sewer.

Fact Sheets

• The Risk index and risk factor formula (PDF - 45KB)
• Risk index calculator (XLS - 90KB)

Laboratory analyses

Only laboratories that hold the appropriate National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) registration can analyse trade wastewater. Customers who have 'in-house' laboratory facilities for analysing trade wastewater need to have NATA registration for each substance listed in Schedule 1 of their trade waste consent agreement or permit.

• List of methods of analysis (PDF - 94KB)

On-line monitoring

Sydney Water is moving towards permanent real-time on-line monitoring for industrial trade wastewater discharges - providing up to date information and an early warning system of sudden changes of trade wastewater quality. It provides industrial customers with the ability to take action to prevent discharges that do not comply with the terms of their consents.

Fact Sheet

• On line monitoring (PDF - 26KB)

Flow Measurement

Guidelines to provide technical service information in flow measurement, open area requirements and other equipment used in the monitoring of trade wastewater discharges to Sydney Water's sewerage system.

• Flow measurement for trade waste dischargers (PDF - 347KB)

• General conditions for consent to discharge industrial trade wastewater (PDF - 826KB)

• Determination of Critical Substances - Declaration of critical substances for affected sewage treatment plants.

Industrial Customer Newsletters

Trade Waste Matters - April 2007 (PDF - 232KB)

Trade Waste Matters - January 2006 (PDF - 134KB)