Liquid Trade Waste

Local Water Utilities such as Walgett Shire Council, are responsible for the provision of water supply and reticulated sewerage services in New South Wales country towns. Pollution and damage to the environment resulting from poor liquid trade waste management practices have resulted in successive governments creating a number of statutes aimed at greater protection of the environment, health and safety.

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Liquid Trade Waste Policy(PDF, 113KB)

Purpose of this Policy

Sewerage systems are generally designed to cater for waste from domestic sources that are essentially of predictable strength and quality. Council may accept trade waste into its sewerage system as a service to businesses and industry.

Liquid trade wastes may exert much greater demands on sewerage systems than domestic sewage and, if uncontrolled, can pose serious problems to public health, worker safety, Council’s sewerage system and the environment.

Impacts of poor liquid trade waste management include:

  • Grease, oil, solid material, if not removed on-site, can cause blockages in the sewerage system and result in overflows of untreated sewage to the environment.
  • Strong waste may cause odour problems and corrosion of sewer mains, pumping stations and sewage treatment facilities.

This policy is concerned with the approval process for liquid trade wastes discharged into Council’s sewerage system and the levying of appropriate sewerage and liquid trade waste fees and charges. It has been developed to ensure the proper control of liquid trade waste discharged to the sewerage system and hence protection of public health, worker safety, the environment, and Council’s sewerage system. The policy also promotes waste minimisation and water conservation.

A person wishing to discharge liquid trade waste to the sewerage system must, under section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993, obtain prior approval from Council. Discharging liquid trade waste without an approval is an offence under section 626 of the Act.

The procedure for approval is governed by Chapter 7 of the Local Government Act (Act) and is subject to the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 (Regulation).

Under section 28 of the Regulation, a council must not grant an approval under section 68 of the Act to discharge trade waste (whether treated or not) into a sewer of the council unless the Director-General of the Department of Water and Energy (DWE) has concurred with the approval.

Under section 90 (2) of the Act, the Director-General, DWE, may give the council notice that the concurrence may be assumed (with such qualifications or conditions as are specified in the notice).

Contact Details

Environmental Services
Walgett Shire Council
02 6828 1399
admin@walgett.nsw.gov.au

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