Commercial trade waste

While our customers may not think about what goes down the drain, we have a whole team dedicated to making sure unsuitable waste isn’t put in the sewer system.

We have limits for our sewer system and regularly monitor our sewer mains to make sure waste is within these limits. We can refuse to accept waste from businesses discharging waste exceeding these limits, as our wastewater (sewerage) treatment plants cannot treat wastewater with high amounts of fats, chemicals etc.

To ensure businesses do the right thing, commercial customers are part of our Trade Waste Program. The aim of the program is to work with businesses to minimise and monitor waste discharges to the sewerage system.

The Water Act 1989 requires any business discharging waste to sewer to enter into a Trade Waste Agreement with us. The agreement outlines the conditions under which we will consent to the discharge of trade waste to our system.

For example, businesses will be required to regularly pump grease and oil from their interceptors and remove the waste material from site.