Fees
Trade waste fees and charges cover the costs of managing and treating trade wastewater. There are two types of charges:
- management fees
- waste quality charges.
Commercial customers
| Fees | 2020-21 charge | 2021-22 charge |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No fee | No fee |
| Variation fee | No fee | No fee |
| Additional inspections | $205.53 | $210.08 |
| Liquid waste trap (grease trap) quarterly charge | $10.32 / trap (grease trap) | $10.55 / trap |
| Quarterly permit fees - first process | $27.37 | $27.98 |
| Quarterly permit fees - each additional process | $9.12 | $9.32 |
Industrial customers
| Fees | 2020-21 charge | 2021-22 charge |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (standard) | $812.78 | $830.76 |
| Variation fee | $457.77 | $467.90 |
| Renewal fee | No fee | No fee |
| Additional inspections | $205.53 | $210.08 |
| Liquid waste trap (grease trap) quarterly charge | $10.32 / trap (grease trap) | $10.55 / trap |
| Quarterly consent fees Risk Index 1, 2 or 3 | $2,736.41 | $2,796.94 |
| Quarterly consent fees Risk Index 4 | $1,262.96 | $1,290.90 |
| Quarterly consent fees Risk Index 5 | $841.97 | $860.60 |
| Quarterly consent fees Risk Index 6 | $420.99 | $430.30 |
| Quarterly consent fees Risk Index 7 | $210.49 | $215.15 |
Commercial customers
We've characterised the quality of trade wastewater from commercial customers by sampling groups with similar processes.
We've used this information to calculate the cost of treating that trade wastewater. Each process is assigned a $/kL charge.
| Commercial process | 2020-21 charge ($/kL) | 2021-22 charge ($/kL) |
|---|---|---|
| High strength BOD food - includes fried chicken outlets, Asian style barbeques, ice cream parlours, craft breweries <12kL/day and some retail bakeries | 2.383 | 2.435 |
| Low strength BOD food - includes restaurants, food courts, take away food outlets (including burger and pizza restaurants) | 1.719 | 1.757 |
| *High strength BOD food and low strength BOD food - if pre-treatment is not maintained | 13.292 | 13.586 |
| Automotive - includes service stations, panel beaters, car detailers, mechanical workshops and some car wash activities | 0.490 | 0.500 |
| Commercial laundry - includes laundromats, small commercial laundries, hospitals, nursing home and hotel laundries, and small dyers | 0.403 | 0.411 |
| Equipment hire washing | 2.835 | 2.898 |
| Lithographic processing | 0.282 | 0.288 |
For a complete list of commercial processes and charging rates, read our Commercial customers trade wastewater fees and charges fact sheet.
Industrial customers
We've calculated the additional costs of treating each substance. We charge industrial customers for the mass of each substance discharged.
Discharge to primary treatment plants
If you discharge to a primary wastewater treatment plant, these charges may apply.
Find out what level of treatment is provided at your wastewater treatment plant.
| Substance | 2020-21 charging rate ($/kg) | 2021-22 charging rate ($/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| BOD |
0.326 + (0.142 x [BOD mg/L]/600)
|
0.334 + (0.145 x [BOD mg/L]/600)
|
| Suspended solids | 0.460 | 0.470 |
| Grease | 0.417 | 0.426 |
| Nitrogen | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Phosphorus | 0.000 | 0.000 |
Discharge to secondary or tertiary treatment plants
If you discharge to a secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment plant, these charges may apply.
Find out what level of treatment is provided at your wastewater treatment plant.
| Substance | 2020-21 charging rate ($/kg) | 2021-22 charging rate ($/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| BOD |
1.609 + (0.142 x [BOD mg/L]/600)
|
1.644 + (0.145 x [BOD mg/L]/600)
|
| Suspended solids | 1.049 | 1.073 |
| Grease | 1.086 | 1.110 |
| Nitrogen | 1.203 | 1.229 |
| Phosphorus | 1.389 | 1.419 |
Discharge to systems affected by odour and corrosion
If you discharge to a wastewater system affected by accelerated odour and corrosion, these additional charges may apply.
| Substance | 2020-21 charging rate | 2021-22 charging rate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature > 25oC | $8.231 / Megalitre / each oC above 25 oC | $8.413 / Megalitre / each oC above 25 oC |
| pH | $74.348 / Megalitre / each pH unit <pH7 | $75.993 / Megalitre / each pH unit <pH7 |
For a complete list of acceptance standards and charging rates, read our Industrial customers acceptance standards and charging rates fact sheet.
The fees you pay depend on your business activities.