Trade waste is generally considered to be the liquid waste discharged to a sewer from commercial and industrial processes. Domestic waste from activities like cooking dinner, having a shower or flushing the toilet isn't 'trade waste'.
The problem with trade waste is that it ends up in our sewerage system, which isn't designed for this discharge! GWMWater sewerage systems were designed many years ago to carry predominately domestic wastes, which are generally of a very predictable quality. Unless we closely monitor trade waste discharge, it can put increased stress on the sewerage system and has the potential to create serious problems for public health, the environment and treatment plants, as well as our staff and contractors.
Important - From 1 July 2021, you can't lawfully move reportable priority waste without being fully onboarded into the Environment Protection Authority's Waste Tracker. If you require assistance to complete your sign-up, please call EPA on 1300 372 842.
Before discharging trade waste, all businesses using a commercial property for their commercial or industrial processes must enter into a Trade Waste Agreement with GWMWater.
What type of agreement you apply for and the rules you must comply with depend on the classification of your business. We classify businesses into five categories from Category 0 to Category 4, based on a number of factors, including:
Categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 need to complete an application to discharge trade waste in order to enter into a Trade Waste Agreement. Category 0 need not apply as they are automatically entered into a Trade Waste Agreement.
These are generally business types in the table below: