What is Liquid Trade Waste?

Liquid trade waste is wastewater generated by businesses which then flows down drains and into the sewerage system. This is treated and recycled at our wastewater treatment plants. Liquid trade waste includes:

  • wastewater from industrial or commercial sites
  • wastewater transported by vehicles such as septic effluent
  • wastewater from boats and ships
  • run-off from contaminated surface water and groundwater.

Most businesses in the Ballina Shire generate liquid trade waste. The NSW Government and Ballina Council require all businesses in the Ballina Shire to gain approval to discharge liquid trade waste so we can:

  • protect our environment including our waterways
  • protect the people working in our wastewater operations
  • protect our wastewater infrastructure from damage
  • continue to produce high quality recycled water and biosolids.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Liquid Trade Waste Factsheet:  Liquid Trade Waste Discharge

Liquid Trade Waste Factsheet: Retail Food Premises and Automotive Trades

Liquid Trade Waste Factsheet: Trade Waste Classifications and Fees

Liquid Trade Waste Factsheet: Applying For a Trade Wastewater Approval

Why do you need Council approval to discharge trade wastewater?

Accepting trade wastewater into Council's wastewater network has the potential to harm the environment, the health and safety of the community and Council staff, as well as potentially damaging Council equipment.

Council's wastewater treatment plants produce high quality recycled water for use in our homes and public spaces and for release back into waterways.

It is important that Council knows and controls what chemicals and substances are entering the wastewater supply.

If you discharge trade wastewater without Council approval, Council can disconnect your wastewater service. Council can also disconnect or restrict your water service which could have a serious impact on your business.

Application Forms

Does your business generate liquid trade wastewater?

Most businesses generate liquid trade wastewater including:

  • business/commercial premises (eg beautician, florist, hairdresser, hotel, motel, restaurant, café, butcher, service station, supermarket, dentist)
  • community/public premises (including craft club, school, college, university, hospital and nursing home)
  • trade activities (eg mobile carpet cleaner)
  • any commercial activities carried out at a residential premises
  • saleyards, racecourses and stables and kennels that are not associated with domestic households
  • septic tank waste, waste from marine pump-out facilities and established sites for the discharge of pan content from mobile homes/caravans to the sewerage system.

You discharge trade wastewater if your business activities are listed in the table below. If you are unsure, please contact our Water Quality and Trade Waste Officer on 6686 4444.

BUSINESS TYPE

ACTIVITIES
Retail Food Restaurants, take-away food outlets, function centres, hospital and nursing home kitchens,   caterers, butchers, delicatessens, retail bakeries
Automotive Service stations, panel beaters, spray painters, car detailers, car wash (hand wash and pressure spray), car wash <12kl/day, mechanical workshops, auto recyclers
Commercial laundries Laundromats, commercial laundries <2 megalitres/year, hospital laundries, nursing home laundries, hotel laundries
Photographic Mini-labs, medical facilities using x-rays, graphic arts, professional photographic   laboratories
Shopping centres with
centralized pre-treatment		 Shopping centres with shared pre-treatment other than grease traps
Other Municipal swimming pools, aquatic centres, cooling tower, boiler blowdown

NSW DPI Water Documentation and Processes 

The below information has been sourced from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Water and provides information on trade waste requirements for consultants and designers. For more information visit the DPI Water website.