If your business only produces small amounts of wastewater, you may not need our approval to discharge it. We call this a deemed process.
What is a deemed process?
Some businesses automatically have permission to discharge trade wastewater to our wastewater system. These are called deemed processes. They do not attract trade wastewater fees or charges. However, your business must still meet our pre‑treatment requirements or we may disconnect your service.
Your ongoing responsibilities
Your business will have to meet our requirements, which may include:
- installing and maintaining pre‑treatment equipment
- limiting what your wastewater contains or how much you discharge.
Choose from our listed pre‑treatment for other businesses.
Check if your business is approved
Your business must either be included in the list of deemed processes below or have our written approval to discharge trade wastewater.
If your business type isn't listed, it may produce commercial trade wastewater. If you're not sure, email businesscustomers@sydneywater.com.au.
Deemed processes and their pre‑treatment requirements
| Deemed process | Pre‑treatment requirements |
|---|---|
Aquariums | Must meet Australian quarantine requirements. |
Beautician, doctor's surgery, school (ceramic and pottery room), venetian blind cleaning | No pre‑treatment required. |
Building construction – slab formation | No discharge to our wastewater system (sewer). Pipework with open connectors to be capped at all times or have an internal device fitted. |
Cooling towers | Discharge not to exceed 500 L/day. |
Dental surgery | Amalgam trap and segregation of waste amalgam. |
Dental technician | Approved plaster trap. |
Dog groomer, pet shop (retail), boarding kennels, stables | Approved in‑sink and in‑floor bucket trap. Organophosphate Pesticides are not to be discharged. |
Dry cleaners | Solvent recovery unit. Used solvents are not to be discharged. Areas where solvents are used or stored should not be connected to wastewater system (sewer). |
Florist | Herbicides are not to be discharged. |
Funeral parlour | Approved screening to prevent solids entering the sewer. Alkaline Hydrolysis is not permitted to discharge to sewer. Formaldehyde solution must be neutralised prior to discharge. |
Hairdresser | Approved in‑floor bucket trap and in‑sink bucket trap. |
Mobile carpet cleaners | 20 micron filter unit. |
Optical lens grinding | Approved solids settlement pit (minimum size 500 L). |
Residential garbage bin‑wash area | Roof and bund bin‑wash area to exclude rainwater and install an approved in‑floor bucket trap. Discharge to the wastewater system (sewer) via floor waste. |
Residential vehicle wash bay | Minimum 1,000 L/hour oil water separator system OR minimum 1,000 L general purpose pit. Display a sign stating 'No degreasing or mechanical work in the wash bay'. Locate vehicle wash bay on a roofed and bunded hard surface and install an approved in‑floor bucket trap. Direct all washwater to the oil water separator or general purpose pit via floor waste with an approved in‑floor bucket trap. |
Sanitary bin washing | Screening and temperature control (less than 38°C). |
Swimming pool (residential, hotel, hospital, club) | No open areas discharging rainwater to our wastewater system (sewer). |
Train platform and internal carriage cleaning | Approved in‑floor bucket trap and in‑sink bucket trap. No open areas draining to the wastewater system (sewer). |
Wash water generated by washing plastering equipment such as trays and spatulas (construction site only – medium to high-density developments, mixed developments, commercial and industrial developments) | Let plaster fully dry and scrape off before washing. Wash water should be pre‑treated:
|
Wash water generated by washing water‑based painting equipment such as brushes, trays and spatulas (construction site only – medium to high-density developments, mixed developments, commercial and industrial developments) | Disposal of wash water from oil‑based paints and solvents is not permitted. Wash water from water‑based paint should be pre‑treated:
|